Pruning Forsythia Bushes

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How do I prune forsythia bushes?

Pruning Forsythia Bushes

Forsythia bushes are a popular spring shrub. These hardy bushes are decorative and useful, since they can form a dense hedge in a relatively short period of time. However, few people allow their forsythia bushes to grow in a normal manner. Instead, they clip them into tight, round balls, usually after next year's flower buds have formed. To properly prune a forsythia, you should:

1. Remove old wood.

2. Prune out branches that are growing into the center of the plant.

3. Only do hard pruning right after your plant is done blooming to avoid cutting off next year's blossoms.

   

Comments

5/16/2009 10:08:37 PM
jane whitley said:

Please advise re: forsythia bushes which are slowing taking over the yard. They hardly ever bloom any more, but are have moved out into the yard between 6 & 7 feet. They are well over 10 feet tall and the wood trunks are as big around as a small tree. How can I stop this take-over growth>


Hi Jane. Feel free to prune these bushes back as soon as they finish flowering. If you prune too late in the year, you may not get flowers the following spring.
I would advise not pruning more than 1/3 of the current growth. Each year you can prune another 1/3 of the growth. These bushes can also be pruned into shapes such as square, round or whatever shape you can imagine.




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