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(Non-)flowering currant

trevorchapman4159h_dkJlCtrevorchapman4159h_dkJlC Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I have a five year old Ribes Sanguineum Koja in the west border of my garden. It seems extremely happy, lots of growth. However it has never flowered and still shows no signs of doing so. Last autumn I gave it a hard prune to see if that would stimulate it into flower. It has quickly regrown to 1m but still not a flower in sight. Soil is not clay and is alkaline. Any ideas how to encourage it?





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  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @trevorchapman4159h_dkJlC .... and welcome to the forum.

    I think you have pruned it at the wrong time of year.
    It is a Spring flowering shrub, so should be pruned after flowering ..... so probably May or June rather than Autumn.

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think the problem is that it's never flowered @Bee witched, but it's certainly unusual if that's the case. They're usually very straightforward shrubs. 
    Have you got a photo @trevorchapman4159h_dkJlC, and any other info? It might shed some light on the problem.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • trevorchapman4159h_dkJlCtrevorchapman4159h_dkJlC Posts: 5
    Here's a photo, just looks like a green shrub. Thinking about it  the pruning was earlier, as you say spring flowering so I would have done it after it should have flowered.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It certainly looks very healthy, so no problems there. Perhaps it's just been too immature and needs some more time?
    Not something I have much experience of as I don't like them, but perhaps someone else could offer an idea or two to help. There doesn't look as if there's anything wrong with how or where it's growing  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think pruning in autumn is where things went wrong .It looks good may be no flowers this year or you could get a few later in season. Leave it be this autumn should then flower in the spring.  
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's never flowered though. That's what's unusual. 
    Unless it's being pruned later in the year - every year  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • trevorchapman4159h_dkJlCtrevorchapman4159h_dkJlC Posts: 5
    Thank you all for your comments.
    I think I have misled about the pruning. I am pretty good at timing my prunings and think I must have done it earlier in the year. In any case I have only done it once in an attempt to see if would stimulate flowering on the new growth but it did not flower in the four years before that.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That's what I thought @trevorchapman4159h_dkJlC. I'd got the impression it was just the once you'd pruned.
    It's very odd   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • trevorchapman4159h_dkJlCtrevorchapman4159h_dkJlC Posts: 5
    Odd indeed. I can't find anything on the internet that talks about this problem. The site doesn't seem to be the problem as it is next to a viburnum and philadelphus that both flower happily. I am coming to the conclusion that it is an infertile plant and all I can do is replace.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree - I think it's one of those situations where you do have to ask yourself whether it's earning it's keep at all, and how long would you have to wait for flowers. If the answer to the first is no, and the second is -I don't want to wait any longer, then it's time to replace it. 
    You've spent a fair bit of time waiting already!   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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