Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bristol Ruby weigela (Weigela florida 'Bristol Ruby').

More about weigela 'bristol ruby'

About Weigela 'Bristol Ruby'

Weigela florida 'Bristol Ruby' · also called Bristol Ruby weigela · flowering

'Bristol Ruby' is a robust deciduous shrub smothered in ruby-red trumpet flowers in late spring, often with a lighter repeat in summer, which draw bees and hummingbirds. Easy and adaptable, it wants full sun and ordinary well-drained soil. Prune right after the main flush, since it blooms on old wood, to keep it shapely and floriferous.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Pruning at the wrong time: It flowers on the previous year's wood, so hard pruning in late winter removes the bloom. Prune the oldest stems right after the main spring flush instead.

The reasons weigela 'bristol ruby' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming weigela 'bristol ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' to flower

Maximise sun. Give weigela 'bristol ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' and get the feeding right with the weigela 'bristol ruby' 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

Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my weigela 'bristol ruby' flower?

Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' bloom?

Give weigela 'bristol ruby' 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 weigela 'bristol ruby' normally bloom?