Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Red Prince Weigela, Old-fashioned Weigela (Weigela florida 'Red Prince').

More about red prince weigela

About Red Prince Weigela

Weigela florida 'Red Prince' · also called Red Prince Weigela, Old-fashioned Weigela · flowering

Red Prince Weigela is a vigorous deciduous shrub bearing masses of rich crimson trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring, often repeating lightly in summer. It is easy to grow in most well-drained soils in full sun. No ASPCA toxic listing for Weigela — considered low-risk to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers: Usually caused by pruning at the wrong time; prune immediately after flowering as blooms form on old wood — never in autumn or early spring.

The reasons red prince weigela isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming red prince weigela 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 red prince weigela 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 red prince weigela to flower

Maximise sun. Give red prince weigela 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 red prince weigela and get the feeding right with the red prince weigela 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

Red Prince Weigela 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 red prince weigela care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Red Prince Weigela blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my red prince weigela flower?

Red Prince Weigela 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 red prince weigela bloom?

Give red prince weigela 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 red prince weigela normally bloom?