Witch-Hazel not blooming - Ask Extension
Based on a list of walnut tolerant plants, I planted a witch-hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia Rubin) along my fence that is partilly under the neighbor's...
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Witch-Hazel not blooming #781772
Asked February 12, 2022, 3:09 PM EST
Based on a list of walnut tolerant plants, I planted a witch-hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia Rubin) along my fence that is partilly under the neighbor's walnut tree. It has grown & bloomed for several seasons but has not bloomed the last few winters. What things should I be doing to promote blooming in the future? If it does not bloom again this season (which appears to be the case) when should I prune it? It gets a fair amount of early to mid day sun.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for the images of your witch-hazel which, unfortunately, has been an unreliable bloomer.
In most instances, low to no flowering is due to several common causes, singly or in combination. Among these are insufficient sunlight; low soil moisture; excess fertilizer; and
pruned at the wrong time.
In general, witch-hazel thrives with full sunlight and adequate summer irrigation during our dry summer months. (See Hamamelis intermedia.) That said, witch-hazel can do reasonably well in light shade.
With your tree, the most likely culprits are likely to be insufficient light -- in your words "a fair amount of early to mid-day sun" -- plus a serious water shortage during the summer.
Even if you do water during the summer, the amount is likely to be insufficient because of the competition from the nearby large trees. Adequate summer water is critical for trees that flower early in the season because the flower buds begin to develop in July and August.
In most instances, low to no flowering is due to several common causes, singly or in combination. Among these are insufficient sunlight; low soil moisture; excess fertilizer; and
pruned at the wrong time.
In general, witch-hazel thrives with full sunlight and adequate summer irrigation during our dry summer months. (See Hamamelis intermedia.) That said, witch-hazel can do reasonably well in light shade.
With your tree, the most likely culprits are likely to be insufficient light -- in your words "a fair amount of early to mid-day sun" -- plus a serious water shortage during the summer.
Even if you do water during the summer, the amount is likely to be insufficient because of the competition from the nearby large trees. Adequate summer water is critical for trees that flower early in the season because the flower buds begin to develop in July and August.
