Reviving Forsythia

This plant available at Woodbridge Greenhouses.

When Forsythia come into bloom, it's amazing to see the variety of shapes and brilliance in just your daily travels. They range from masses of naturally cascading branches covered in thousands of bright yellow flowers, to long-neglected smattering of blossoms, and include painstakingly trimmed yellow forms..

:::sigh::: Time to start lopping.

I have but one Forsythia bush (right pic). Its wispy tendrils sprawl in undergrowth along our driveway. Its decades-long neglect is evident in its overgrown tangle of nearly-bare branches. Rather than taking drastic action, I've done a little research to develop a simple plan of action. 

Although gardeners have differing techniques, most agree that the key to rejuvenating Forsythia blooms is to cut the plant back. They also agree that pruning in the spring allows buds to form on the new growth, creating a brighter display next year.

The debate is over how much to cut. Some advocate “rejuvenation pruning” by cutting entire the shrub back to ankle height and amending the soil (hoping it will come back within a year or two). Other gardeners advise removing either a quarter or a third of the oldest stems each year. Some believe that Forsythia should only be pruned back after their blossoms are dry, others want you to wait until the blooms drop off.

Snapped while driving down Rt. 102 last week.

And the consensus is...to lightly prune forsythia without forcing it to conform to a specific shape. Called “renewal pruning”, it is a great way to breath new life into forlorn forsythia (and other flowering shrubs that produce their best blooms on new wood).

Shaping a forsythia bush into a tight, geometric shape defies its naturally graceful, fireworks-like tendency. Whether you are trimming an unkempt bush or reviving an overly trimmed plant, follow these steps each year.

1. Cut down the outer ring (perimeter) by 2/3.
2. Prune the rest of the branches by taking 1/3 off their height.This will encourage new growth that will cascade in all directions.

Pruning Tips:

• Be sure to take a moment to step back often, and look at the overall effect. 
• To conceal the cut, trim just above a set of green leaves, and angle your cut slightly away from view.

Forsythia Facts:

• Deer resistant! (caveat: when deer are hungry enough, they'll eat most anything.)
• Native to Asia, but non-invasive.
• No major insects or diseases.
• Some forsythia may grow 1-2 feet per year before maturing around 8 to 10 feet tall.
• Plant in full sun for the best and brightest blooms, but will flower lightly in partial shade.
• Forsythias grow well in a wide range of soils, other than wet, poorly drained soil.
• Amend the soil in the fall for better blooms and growth.
• The first freeze forces Forsythia's foliage to fall.
• Forsythia can spread from underground roots and when lower branches touch rich dirt and develop roots (ground layering). If you wish, you can separate it from the mother plant by cutting it at the roots and transplanting the new plant.

By carefully pruning overgrown forsythia by thirds each year, you will not shock the bush, but you will improve its blooms as you gradually restore its natural shape and splendor.

TLC needed.

Not pleasing to the eye, is it?

How NOT to treat your Forsythia.

Information gathered by Renee C. Brannigan