A reader reached out to share her question with me about her beautiful forsythia hedge surrounding a birdbath in her garden.
As she cleaned the bird bath, she poured the diluted bleach water onto the forsythia, not realizing the impact it would have.
Unfortunately, bleach doesn’t agree with forsythia, even if it does keep the bath sparkling.
Three of her beloved shrubs didn’t survive, and she replaced them with new ones, only to find the replacements growing long and lanky.
This week, she asked whether trimming might help the new plants fill in the space better.
For me, forsythia is the garden’s way of announcing spring’s arrival. I bet many of you have a forsythia tucked into a garden bed, too. It’s such a resilient plant, and over the years I’ve loved how it’s always the first to burst into bloom.
One part to all of this is that forsythia is easy to acquire. My wife Sharon says she can always tell when spring is coming by the smile on my face as I admire those golden flowers coming into bloom.
When it comes to this forsythia challenge, my advice is to be patient. I never prune any new shrub I’ve planted — for myself or my clients — for at least the first year, sometimes
even three.
This hands-off approach helps the young plants get established. In my experience, they rarely grow so vigorously in those first years that pruning is truly needed.
There could be several reasons why your new forsythia seems a bit too leggy for your liking. Forsythia thrives best in full sun and loves well-drained, evenly moist soil.
The good news is, this cheerful spring shrub is forgiving — it’s happy in many types of soil, even heavy clay. Once you’ve given it a little attention and helped it settle in, forsythia will reward you by standing up to even the driest spells.
Let me share a lesson I learned the hard way. Years ago, I brought home a Snake-Bark Maple, enchanted by its unusual green bark. My yard is mostly shaded, and while the tree tolerated it for a while, it grew leggy and sparse.
After growing this tree for three years I reached a conclusion. Thinking I could help, I pruned away the weak and spindly branches.
My Snake-bark maple did not respond the way I hoped. Sadly, that beautiful tree never recovered — I watched it fade despite my best efforts.
I still feel a pang of regret. I have been embarrassed and upset about this plant since I killed it by pruning it.
So, if you find yourself tempted to prune leggy plants, take it slow and gentle. Sometimes, patience and a little extra care are the best remedies.
The only European forsythia is in the Balkans and belongs to the Olive family. Our forsythia is named after one of the founding members of the Royal Botanical Society, William Forsyth.
There are 11 members of this species, and all are oriental except one, and several cultivars.
These cultivars range from as short as three feet to as tall as 20 feet. This means that, in all likelihood, you will have to prune this shrub to fit into a modern landscape unless we are talking about a privacy hedge.
After the blooms fade is the best time to prune. Keep in mind that blooms appear on old wood and set their flower buds soon after new growth appears.
Forsythia has a natural weeping habit, although it is normally irregular. If you trim into a hedge, you will lose some of the potential blooms.
For an old Forsythia, you need to be brutal. This brutal approach should be done only when your plant is 5 or 6 years old.
Remove one quarter of the oldest stems by cutting mostly at ground level. Crop the entire shrub to four inches from the ground.
Forsythia shrubs that are 3 to 4 years old you won’t be as brutal. I have cut stems that are 12 inches are more to encourage growth. Trim the remaining portion of the shrub to within a foot off the ground. New shoots will emerge, and carefully trim.
In two years, you will have a new shrub. Maintain your young Forsythia by removing the oldest branches first, then trim back any straggling growth.
When you prune the taller branches, you will find that your forsythia will start looking more manicured. This is the brutal pruning I mentioned earlier.
For the brightest and fullest forsythia blooms prune with caution.
I’ve spotted crocus, snowdrops, forsythia, witch hazel, and Lenten rose in bloom this week, which means spring is almost here.
If you have any gardening challenges, email me at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.