My forsythia was looking beautiful this spring. But I'm not sure how to prune it. Should I just lop off the top foot of all the branches or pick and choose certain ones and cut right back?
Don't just lop a bit off the ends - you'll end up with a yellow shaving brush next spring.
Choose the oldest branches and take out a few as low down as possible, where they branch off from the main plant. Do it when the flowers have faded and not later. The plant will grow some replacement branches which will flower next year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As Dove correctly says next years flowers are on this years growth. I have a lovely bush on trellis in full bloom at the moment. My way is to take around half the bush off after flowering then trim out some very old and any weak growth, plus what I call twiglets. Then tie it back to the trellis, the new growth will come from the buds on the stems and that will give you next years bloom. A mulch around the base when you do this will be all the plant needs to grow on.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll do a little bit of both. A little off the top of the few longer stems and then take out some of the older ones from the bottom.
again thanks. Can always count on some sage advice from someone on the forum.
Depends on how you grow it. I and several others in my area grow it on trellis training the stems along the laths the flowering growth goes up so we trim it to keep it level. This year was a mass of bloom the best I have had in 20 odd years.
What's wrong with ikea Obelixx? It serves it's purpose. Hall mirror, bosh, done. Back for lunch and out in the garden again. I've cut out a couple of the old branches and left the top alone. It was a beautiful sight earlier in the year. I just love the vibrant yellow against a blue sky. It hasn't done too badly considering my mum hadn't touched it for about 10 years!
Just don't like IKEA. I prefer now to go to 2Nd hand places like TROC or a flea market/brocante and get something attractive and made form proper wood that doesn't break if you move it. Prefer old mirrors too.
And then IKEA keeps getting caught doing the wrong thing - furniture made by prisoners in East Germany, paying its drivers peanuts via east European mediaries. Not exactly ethical.
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Don't just lop a bit off the ends - you'll end up with a yellow shaving brush next spring.
Choose the oldest branches and take out a few as low down as possible, where they branch off from the main plant. Do it when the flowers have faded and not later. The plant will grow some replacement branches which will flower next year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As Dove correctly says next years flowers are on this years growth. I have a lovely bush on trellis in full bloom at the moment. My way is to take around half the bush off after flowering then trim out some very old and any weak growth, plus what I call twiglets. Then tie it back to the trellis, the new growth will come from the buds on the stems and that will give you next years bloom. A mulch around the base when you do this will be all the plant needs to grow on.
Frank
Received wisdom is that one third of the branches - the oldest - should be removed every year.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll do a little bit of both. A little off the top of the few longer stems and then take out some of the older ones from the bottom.
again thanks. Can always count on some sage advice from someone on the forum.
raining today so it's IKEA this morning
have a great break
It's up to you of course, but I really wouldn't take anything off the ends of the branches ... they'll loose that elegant line and just go bushy
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I wouldn't go to IKEA either but other than that, Dove is right about shortening the branches and making pom poms. Not a good look.
Depends on how you grow it. I and several others in my area grow it on trellis training the stems along the laths the flowering growth goes up so we trim it to keep it level. This year was a mass of bloom the best I have had in 20 odd years.
Frank.
What's wrong with ikea Obelixx? It serves it's purpose. Hall mirror, bosh, done. Back for lunch and out in the garden again. I've cut out a couple of the old branches and left the top alone. It was a beautiful sight earlier in the year. I just love the vibrant yellow against a blue sky. It hasn't done too badly considering my mum hadn't touched it for about 10 years!
Just don't like IKEA. I prefer now to go to 2Nd hand places like TROC or a flea market/brocante and get something attractive and made form proper wood that doesn't break if you move it. Prefer old mirrors too.
And then IKEA keeps getting caught doing the wrong thing - furniture made by prisoners in East Germany, paying its drivers peanuts via east European mediaries. Not exactly ethical.
I found this link most helpful on how to prune Forsythias. http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/prune-forsythia.html