Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Anthony Waterer Spirea, Japanese Spirea 'Anthony Waterer' (Spiraea japonica 'Anthony Waterer').

More about spiraea 'anthony waterer'

About Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer'

Spiraea japonica 'Anthony Waterer' · also called Anthony Waterer Spirea, Japanese Spirea 'Anthony Waterer' · flowering

A compact, free-flowering deciduous shrub with flat-topped clusters of bright carmine-red flowers from midsummer through to early autumn. Foliage emerges with pink-tinged new growth that matures to mid-green. One of the oldest and most reliable Japanese spirea cultivars; excellent for mixed borders or low hedging. Mildly-toxic as a precaution.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Reduced flowering: Usually caused by over-shading or incorrect pruning. This is a summer bloomer flowering on new growth — hard prune in early spring to stimulate vigorous new flowering shoots.

The reasons spiraea 'anthony waterer' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming spiraea 'anthony waterer' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding spiraea 'anthony waterer' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get spiraea 'anthony waterer' to flower

Maximise sun. Give spiraea 'anthony waterer' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for spiraea 'anthony waterer' and get the feeding right with the spiraea 'anthony waterer' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full spiraea 'anthony waterer' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my spiraea 'anthony waterer' flower?

Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make spiraea 'anthony waterer' bloom?

Give spiraea 'anthony waterer' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does spiraea 'anthony waterer' normally bloom?