It is very rare that a bloodcurrant does not develop flowers. In most cases, incorrect pruning is to blame. Occasionally, a poor location or completely depleted soil results in no spring blooms.
Why isn't my bloodcurrant blooming?
Causes for bloodcurrants not blooming can include incorrect pruning, poor location or depleted soil. To increase flowering, plant the bloodcurrant in a sunny, wind-protected location and cut it immediately after flowering.
The requirements for abundant flowering
- Location
- Soil texture
- Care
- pruning
- care cut
Bloodcurrants are undemanding garden residents that do not require much care. Even on field paths and forest edges, they show their abundance of flowers in spring as very young plants.
The location in the garden should be as sunny as possible or at least partially shaded. Since the plants cope very well with soil with poor nutrients, frequent fertilization is not necessary. Only if the soil is very poor can you occasionally apply some nettle manure or plant fertilizer.
Like all currant varieties, the blood currant does not tolerate waterlogging. Loose soil is therefore a prerequisite for good growth.
Provide a place protected from the wind
In a sheltered spot, bloodcurrants produce many more flowers than in a windy location. If your bloodcurrant flowers little or not at all, plant it in front of a wall.
Never cut back bloodcurrants radically
Radical pruning to promote flowering does not make sense. Flowering is not stimulated by cutting. On the contrary, after a complete pruning, the bloodcurrant will not bloom at all the next year.
Prune your bloodcurrants only when it is absolutely necessary.
Cut the bloodcurrant immediately after flowering
Bloodcurrants form branches in the current year on which the flowers grow for the coming spring.
If you don't want to do without pruning, only cut back the shrub immediately after flowering in May. If the bloodcurrant is pruned later in the summer, fall or early spring, remove any shoots that will have new flowers next year.
You can safely cut all dry and diseased shoots in autumn. You can cut vertically growing branches as well as water shoots that sprout from the ground next to the main trunk.
Tips & Tricks
If the bloodcurrant has spread too much, you can prune it in autumn. To do this, only the excess shoots are pruned directly at the base. However, after heavy pruning in the fall, you must expect that the shrub will only develop a few flowers the following spring.