Skimmia not flowering

dreaming spires

Hello everyone

I bought a skimmia from a garden centre last winter, due to the lovely red / mauve colour it offers throughout the colder months.

I planted it in a semi shady spot (in a raised bed with good soil and plenty of compost mixed in).

Throughout the summer it got a little bit crowded out by the perennials surrounding it, but I made sure it has access to some sunlight, and I noticed the leaves turning a slight yellowy hue. I wasn't worried as thought it was just the plant settling in.

This autumn / winter I have noticed that the plant has started to grow nicely and the leaf colour has recovered somewhat, however there is not a flower to be seen!

I have seen some websites advise to plant Skimmias in acidic, or at least semi acidic soil, and some sites suggest the Skimmia is tolerant of most soil types. Could this be the problem? As the soil in my raised bed is PH neutral to alkaline.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can coax it to flower next year?

Many thanks

Dovefromabove

Does it have any buds at all?

Alan4711

Hi DP  when we bought ours we were advised to get male and female as only pollinated Skimmia will flower properly,so we have one red and one white its working so far ,we have them either side of a shaded door ,for info try Skimmia RHS might help ,good luck,Morning Dove

Dovefromabove

Morning Alan 

Surely they'll flower even if not pollinated - it's berries that they won't produce if not pollinated 

Alan4711

Oi im only passing on wot the g/c told me, im doinmibest, anyway 2s company intit,

and we want some nice shiny berries dont we miduck, (watch this)   smilies at last many thanks your message worked,now sort out Dreamers Skimmia

Alanxxx

dreaming spires

No, no buds that I can detect so far. I will have a closer look shortly.

Dovefromabove

Alan4711 wrote (see)

Oi im only passing on wot the g/c told me, im doinmibest, anyway 2s company intit,

and we want some nice shiny berries dont we miduck, (watch this)   smilies at last many thanks your message worked,now sort out Dreamers Skimmia

Alanxxx

Yay .... Alan's got Smilies 

I've just come back from the GC and I had a look at the Skimmias there - they had lots of buds  - I'm going to agree, as I so often do, with Verdun - I think your skimmia spent last year concentrating on developing a good root system in its new home - my bet is that it will flower well next year - a sprinkling of potash in late summer/early autumn might remind it that it's supposed to make flowers as well as roots