What kind of fertiliser should I use to encourage a hawthorn to flower? + other plants

Fairygirl · 17 February

You say the soil underneath is shallow and poor. That's the most likely reason then - it's not going to hold moisture well in summer if that's the case, unless you have that regular, and consistent enough rainfall to penetrate the canopy and keep enough moisture in there. In that case, trees often sacrifice the production of buds etc as I said earlier. Road/pavement footings will always mean the soil/ground is poorer and drier too.

It may mean it doesn't recover very well, or well enough to produce flowers consistently, but I've no idea what your general climate is like, so it's hard to judge. Many trees also don't show signs of stress until long after the stressful period has happened.

I see @punkdoc was saying much the same earlier on- we were posting at the same time.

Pink678 · 17 February

Thank you @Fairygirl that's really helpful. Yes the soil is poor, although I should say, that in previous years it did flower fine. So maybe it's the combination of the not ideal soil and the tree reaching the end of the road as you said. It's in quite an open area so the rain does tend to come in at all angles and wet the soil OK. Central england so quite moderate weather.

Ah well, it sounds like there's not a lot I can do apart from some mulch so I think I'll go ahead with that, but not expect too much from it.

Plantminded · 17 February

Trees and other woody plants can surprise you @Pink678. If your tree is past its best there’s not a lot you can do but sometimes trees have lean years and flower little or not at all, saving their energy for leaf or root growth, then they can give a good show the following year. Mulching will help though so it’s a good habit to get into and stand by in hope!

Pink678 · 17 February

Thank you @Plantminded I'll nurture a little hope then

. I do love the pink flowers it produces.

What kind of fertiliser should I use to encourage a hawthorn to flower? + other plants

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