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Blossom tree stopped flowering after pruning

totocoxeSpZLPEX0totocoxeSpZLPEX0 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
I had a wonderful mature pink blossom tree (no idea of the variety, but produces no fruit) that flowered prolifically every spring. After quite a few years of being left alone to do it's thing, had become rather straggly, so I decided to give it a prune, a rather hard prune in fact, I took off over half the growth, up to three quarters on some branches. Since then it's leaf has flourished, it's thicker, better shape, looks more healthy BUT, I have had no blossoms since pruning. I pruned it mid summer 3 years ago and live in the NE Scotland. I'm not sure how old the tree is, but I'd guess at about 25 to 30 years.
Will I ever get blossoms back again or have I now just got suckers that are never going to flower?
What did I do wrong (for future pruning endeavours)? 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited May 2023
    Have you got a photo?
    Hard pruning often creates a mass of water shoots, depending on the type of tree. It may not recover. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited May 2023
    Perhaps a bit too much in one go.  But it should flower again.  Nothing much you can do, but be patient.

    By "suckers" do you mean from the roots?  Or are they "water suckers" - fast growung shoots the go straight up.  If the latter, prune them back to one/two buds.  Keep pruning for shape.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • totocoxeSpZLPEX0totocoxeSpZLPEX0 Posts: 2
    Fairygirl said:
    Have you got a photo?
    Hard pruning often creates a mass of water shoots, depending on the type of tree. It may not recover. 
    Photos below. On close inspection when taking photos this morning I see a couple of branches that have a fair amount of flowers, a lot more than last year so perhaps it will come back a bit more each year. For now I'll just leave it alone.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Oh that looks fine @totocoxeSpZLPEX0. I 'd just leave that now to carry on growing and  maybe not be so harsh with the tidying up next time  ;)
    They don't need much in the way of pruning - remove anything obviously dead, or rubbing, so that the canopy is kept nice and open. 

    You can usually find helpful advice about pruning ornamental cherry/plum trees in the RHS pages etc. Summer is the best time for them  :)
    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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