Properly pruning forsythia at the right time is the secret getting lots of gorgeous yellow flowers.
Knowing how and when to pruneforsythiais critical for keeping this shrub healthy and its spring blooms bountiful.
But pruning at the wrong time could result in no flowers.
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
You’ll have a bunch of sticks and leaves and only a few flowers.
Pruning encourages the forsythia to grow new branches that bloom profusely.
Regular pruning of forsythia is also important for disease management.
Increasing the airflow around the plant and exposing its branches to more sunlightreduces several plant diseasesthat can afflict forsythia.
When to Prune Forsythia
Timing is key when pruning forsythia.
Cut back forsythia in mid-spring, after it blooms.
Forsythia flowers appear from February to April, so you must prune the shrub no later than mid-June.
Forsythia produces next years blooms on the previous years stems.
Wait until new leaves show up before you prune.Forsythia flowers emerge before the leaves.
So, the blooms are on bare branches.
Dont prune the forsythia until the flowers have faded and new leaves have appeared on the branches.
If you prune before leaves appear, you’re able to damage the plant.
Types of Pruning
There are two types of forsythia pruning.
The pruning you do depends on the age and condition of the plant.
Do this jot down ofpruning in the springafter the plant has flowered.
Rejuvenation Pruning
Rejuvenation pruning is a heavy pruning done on older shrubs that are leggy and overgrown.
Rejuvenation pruning, also called hard pruning, can revive an old, overgrown forsythia that has been neglected.
Do a rejuvenation pruning on forsythia when the plant is dormant.
If you do a hard prune in the spring, forsythia branches bleed sap, which weakens it.
Tips for Pruning Forsythia
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
Forsythia is such a fast-growing and hardy shrub that its forgiving of overzealous pruning.
When you prune your forsythia is more important than how much you prune.
Dont prune forsythia when the temperature drops below 32F.
Extreme cold can scorch the branches youve pruned, blackening the tips or killing the entire branch.
Dont shear off the top of a forsythia shrub withhedge trimmers.
The clipped branches put out dense, brushy new growth that doesnt bloom well and looks unnatural.
Forsythia should look graceful, with long, upright stems and an open, airy shape.
This calls for drastic actioncutting the shrub to the groundso it can resprout.
Keep up a regular pruning schedule as outlined above as the shrub regrows.
