Pieris Japonica

Soummer · Post by **Soummer** » May 15, 2005 1:15 am

Shouldn't this baby be blooming or at least budding by now? Could the freeze of a week or so ago have done it in for this year?

whis4ey · Post by **whis4ey** » May 15, 2005 4:53 am

I hope your weather hasn't disturbed the cycle of this beautiful shrub for you Janet. Over here the first brilliant flush of rich pink is just fading to that most equally beautiful creamy colouration. The variegated form is just showing its pink new leaves ... it isn't quite as proliferous as the Forest Flame variety
This is a pic of both together ......

kHT · Post by **kHT** » May 19, 2005 9:39 am

Need to ask if you trimmed this one? If so when? Yes the freeze can stop the blooms but also if you trim then at the wrong time this too can stop the blooming process for the next year. Time to trim is right after they bloom no several months afterwards. I'll be wacking our back as the last bloom drops. That is also time to take cuttings.

Soummer · Post by **Soummer** » May 19, 2005 3:33 pm

The only time I trimmed it was just this year, removing only obvioulsy dead wood. I don't know if the dead wood was age or disease or freeze

There is new growth, but I can't get close enough in this cold rain to see if there's any buds.

I did see some at the nursery yesterday, and they were just begining to bloom. So maybe it's just not the right time yet. Hoping so!

kHT · Post by **kHT** » May 22, 2005 10:08 am

Any signs of blooms yet? I also thought if it's a young plant it might not bloom.

Soummer · Post by **Soummer** » May 22, 2005 10:51 am

No signs of blooms, but I am finally getting some RED growth!

As for age/blooming, it was blooming when I bought it.

I've decided to blame everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) on this weird weather. How could a plant know what to do when one day it's 80 and the next it's snowing???

kHT · Post by **kHT** » May 22, 2005 3:38 pm

Janet, some of the nurseries force them to bloom for show and then sometimes it will take a year after this to bloom and your right it could of been the weather too!