Problem getting my mutsabara Ume to flower

[Corrado]

So I got this plant from Brent maybe 5 years back and its first year it flowered abundantly. I shaped it up and planted it in the ground and from there on it never flowered . I first had it in the ground to thicken the trunk. Its now 1.5 inches thick . It has 5-6 thick short branches with shoots off those branches. So what Ive been doing is letting these shoots grow in spring and then in May when they are about 10-20 inches long I cut off the first 2-3 leaves off each branch closest to the trunk. As I understand it those will turn into new shoots for ramification. All the rest of the leaves as the shoot grows thru summer should make flower buds--right? At first ID let it lengthen to say 20 inches and cut off say 6-8 inches and leave the rest of the leaves alone all summer. They would always curl making me think flowers should be developing. But when the leaves fall in Autumn there are no fat rounded flower buds. For the last 2 years I let the shoots grow as long as they wanted with no trimming . Just the 2-3 leaves taken off nearest the trunk. ID have shoots 6ft long at this point. Still no flowers. So whats wrong here??

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

What is a Mutsabara Ume"?? When I google it all I get is hits about a dead Japanese singer.

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[Nybonsai12]

What is a Mutsabara Ume"?? When I google it all I get is hits about a dead Japanese singer.

​

Japanese flowering apricot, I assume the matsubara red variety.

 

[Nybonsai12]

So I got this plant from Brent maybe 5 years back and its first year it flowered abundantly. I shaped it up and planted it in the ground and from there on it never flowered . I first had it in the ground to thicken the trunk. Its now 1.5 inches thick . It has 5-6 thick short branches with shoots off those branches. So what Ive been doing is letting these shoots grow in spring and then in May when they are about 10-20 inches long I cut off the first 2-3 leaves off each branch closest to the trunk. As I understand it those will turn into new shoots for ramification. All the rest of the leaves as the shoot grows thru summer should make flower buds--right? At first ID let it lengthen to say 20 inches and cut off say 6-8 inches and leave the rest of the leaves alone all summer. They would always curl making me think flowers should be developing. But when the leaves fall in Autumn there are no fat rounded flower buds. For the last 2 years I let the shoots grow as long as they wanted with no trimming . Just the 2-3 leaves taken off nearest the trunk. ID have shoots 6ft long at this point. Still no flowers. So whats wrong here??

Are you fertilizing heavily and are they getting plenty of sun?

 

[leatherback]

But when the leaves fall in Autumn there are no fat rounded flower buds.

There would not be any buds in fall. The buds develop over winter, on places where there were leaves over the season.

Pictures might help understand your challenge.

 

[Corrado]

Japanese flowering apricot, I assume the matsubara red variety.

AHH, thankyou Leatherback -that explains the problem then--(.The buds develop over winter, on places where there were leaves over the season) I was pruning back in late fall to the 2-3 buds that I took the leaves off. yes a beautiful solid red. Its reported as a slow grower but I find mine is not at all slow. Leatherback-do you have experience working with Hawthornes?? Ive worked with Washington hawthorne for decades and although they ramify great I cant ge t them to flower either.

 

[Nybonsai12]

AHH, thankyou Leatherback -that explains the problem then--(.The buds develop over winter, on places where there were leaves over the season) yes a beautiful solid red. Its reported as a slow grower but I find mine is not at all slow. Leatherback-do you have experience working with Hawthornes?? Ive worked with Washington hawthorne for decades and although they ramify great I cant ge t them to flower either.

You quoted me but responded to Leatherback, lol

So are you fertilizing heavy and are you giving it full sun? are you able to see flower buds right now? If you are going to get flowers they should be visible at this point.

 

[Corrado]

You quoted me but responded to Leatherback, lol

So are you fertilizing heavy and are you giving it full sun? are you able to see flower buds right now? If you are going to get flowers they should be visible at this point.

yes plenty of feeding and more than enough sunshine. Leatherback hit it on the head. I was trimming off the 2-3 leaves closest to the trunks and then letting the rest of the shoot grow all thru summer which would have formed flower buds for the following year. But then I pruned the shoots back down in fall to the 2-3 buds that I took the leaves off. Dummy!!!

 

[Corrado]

this is what it looks like now

 

[leatherback]

yes plenty of feeding and more than enough sunshine. Leatherback hit it on the head. I was trimming off the 2-3 leaves closest to the trunks and then letting the rest of the shoot grow all thru summer which would have formed flower buds for the following year. But then I pruned the shoots back down in fall to the 2-3 buds that I took the leaves off. Dummy!!!

if I recall correctly, I already told you in earlier PM that you were pruning off the branches that would develop buds.

 

[Corrado]

Maybe. But it was the way you stated it in the above post that made my brain finally understand!! LOL It runs slow at times.