Forsythia Shrub Care - How To Care For Your Forsythia Plant

First thing for forsythia shrub care is that forsythias enjoy full sun. Make sure your forsythia bush gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. While it can tolerate less than this, your forsythia's ability to flower will be reduced if it does not get full sun. Next, forsythias need to be grown in well draining soil.

Should forsythia be cut back?

The best time for trimming forsythia is in the spring after the blooms fade. Pruning forsythia in late summer or fall will reduce the number of flowers in the spring since these shrubs bloom on old wood and set their flower buds soon after new growth appears.

How do you prune a forsythia hedge?

Cut about a quarter of the remaining growth at ground level to encourage basal growth. Trim the hedge for a second time in late July or August. This time, use hedge clippers or shears to give a light trim to shape the hedge rather than a major pruning.

What is the best fertilizer for forsythia?

All-purpose fertilizer with a balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is best, as these three nutrients promote root growth, color and flowering. However, it's also appropriate to use fertilizer that contains higher amounts of phosphorous.

How do I get my forsythia bush to bloom?

Forsythia bushes are known to grow rapidly but pruning helps to encourage more flowers. When you prune the forsythia, more light reaches the inner branches which results in more flowers.

Can I cut my forsythia to the ground?

Cutting back a forsythia back to the ground is a good way to encourage new growth, according to the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. It's best to do this right after the blooms have faded on the bush, but if your shrub didn't bloom, just do it in late spring.

How do you rejuvenate forsythia?

Remove the oldest, branches as they produce fewer flowers over time. You can also remove any branches that cross over the others or look weak and unhealthy. This type of rejuvenation, which is called thinning, will encourage new branches to form. Thin your forsythia in late fall or early spring before the flowers form.

How do you stop forsythia from spreading?

Cut branches as close to the ground as possible to encourage new growth to emerge from the base. Use this approach if the forsythia serves as a screen or an important backdrop in the garden. A more severe approach is to cut all of the branches to the ground and let the shrub resprout.

Does forsythia make a good hedge?

The forsythia is a fast-growing, hardy shrub that blooms early — providing a sunny sight before the rest of the landscape greens up. Forsythias make an excellent choice for those wanting a fast-growing flowering hedge. For best results, plant forsythia 4-6 feet apart when creating your hedge.

What grows well with forsythia?

Companion Planting and Design for Forsythia

Do not use forsythia as a foundation shrub; it can spread to great size. Redbud and Yoshino cherry trees are great companions providing color contrast. Flowering quince, bridal wreath spirea, and daffodils will naturalize together with forsythia for an early spring show.

Is forsythia an invasive plant?

Having said that, I would rather see someone use sterile forsythia than burning bush with berries that go everywhere.” Forsythia doesn't appear on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's list of invasive plants, although the characteristics that Summers notes are similar to some other invasive plants.

How long does it take for a forsythia bush to grow?

New shoots will emerge from the ground and bloom in following years. Old, neglected forsythias can be rejuvenated by pruning them back to within 3 to 4 inches of the ground in late winter or early spring. The rejuvenated shrubs will grow back quickly and should begin blooming again in 1 or 2 years.

Why did my forsythia not bloom this year?

Forsythia don't bloom for a few reasons: Not enough sun: Forsythias like sun, and if the surrounding plants grow over, increasing shade, you will have decreasing blooms — sometimes no blooms. Trim back the shading foliage on nearby plants to increase the available sunlight or move the forsythia.

What month does forsythia bloom?

Forsythia flowers early. The flowers are produced early in the spring, before the leaves emerge, for a welcome show of bright yellow blooms (F. suspensa has paler flowers). Plants in the upper Midwest typically bloom starting in late March to mid-April for one to two weeks.

Can you grow forsythia in pots?

Planting forsythia

It is also possible to grow forsythia in a pot on a terrace or balcony, but prepare to repot every 2 or 3 years. When planting in pots, select shrub or flowered plant soil mix.

Does forsythia stay green in winter?

Forsythias are easy to grow, but do require some maintenance. After a long, drab winter, most gardeners anxiously await the arrival of spring. ... Forsythia leaves are medium to dark green in summer. Fall leaf color is usually poor.

How hard can I cut back forsythia?

The best time to prune a forsythia is immediately the flowers begin to fade. If you leave it a month or two later you will be reducing the show of flowers for next year. Forsythia flowers on stems which were grown during the previous two years. Prune to shape by removing about a quarter of the length from all stems.

Does forsythia lose its leaves in winter?

Forsythia Winter Damage

Since forsythia is a deciduous shrub, it loses its leaves and goes dormant in winter. ... Forsythia shrubs are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. The shrubs can survive cold temperatures down to -20 degrees F.

Why is my forsythia dying?

Weevil grubs (larvae) in the soil often attack the roots, endangering the shrub. A forsythia whose roots are infested with nematodes looks sickly, wilted or stunted. Its foliage is yellowed or bronzed. It will decline slowly and die.

How do you divide forsythia?

Dividing, the easiest way to have a good sized start, consists of separating some of the newer branches with a clump of attached roots. Â You will need a very sharp shovel to use on a young plant, or a spud bar for cleaving off starts from and older plant.

How do you multiply forsythia?

Another way to multiply border forsythia is by layers. To do this, you must simply bend a long, possibly overhanging shoot down to the ground. This should be carefully placed into a trench of loosened soil so that the tip looks out at the other end.