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Forsythia already show their best side at the beginning of the year. But in order to be able to marvel at their flowers, you have to know their requirements well.

Forsythia are very popular in gardens and parks, because the golden-yellow flowering plant is a real eye-catcher in spring. From mid-March, the exotic shrub shines like no other at this time of year. The genus of forsythia includes a total of 13 species, with a hybrid of the species Forsythia × intermedia being predominantly planted in this country. Although forsythia feel very comfortable in Germany, their original home is mainly in East Asia. Individual forsythia species also come from south-eastern Europe. So that the popular shrub also feels at home in your garden, we present a few tips for planting, flowering and caring for forsythia.

Planting forsythia: planting time and location

Despite their exotic origin, the slightly poisonous forsythia do not make life difficult for hobby gardeners and are considered to be easy to care for. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind when planting the plant in your garden.

Forsythia: the right planting time

The best time to plant forsythia is in the spring after the last frosts. Then the plant can quickly get used to the new location. In principle, the shrub can also be planted out in autumn. However, the cold temperatures in winter can affect the plant and it takes longer to adapt to the location.

Forsythia: The right location

In principle, you can't do much wrong when choosing a location - forsythia grows very well in sunny, shady or semi-shady places. The yellow-flowering shrub also makes hardly any demands on the soil. Nevertheless, make sure that the soil at the selected location is not too calcareous and that the plant gets enough water. Severe drought is one of the few criteria where even the forsythia gives up. In order to increase the water holding capacity, it is therefore worth working in compost and leaves before planting out. As with most plants, the soil should not be waterlogged.

Forsythia grow both inthe sun, as well as in the shade or partial shade

These tips will help you choose the right location and planting time for forsythia:

  • Planting time in spring after the frosts
  • Sunny, semi-shady or shady location
  • Damp and lime-poor soil
  • No waterlogging

Forsythia: flowering and pruning

Forsythia is popular with most hobby gardeners because of its eye-catching flowers. But so that it appears so magnificently every year, it is important to cut forsythia correctly. We'll show you what to look out for.

Forsythia Flowering Period

Depending on the weather, forsythia starts flowering in Germany around mid-March and lasts until May, depending on the variety. What is special about the shrub is the lush formation of flowers even before the leaves sprout, which is why the forsythia already presents its yellow flowers in early spring.

Tip: The flowering of the forsythia represents the beginning of the phenological first spring. We will show you how a phenological calendar works and how you can use it for your garden.

Pruning forsythia: Wrong time leads to flowering loss

Pruning at the right time is crucial for the desired flowering in spring. Forsythia is a mesotonous plant, which means that new shoots grow mainly from the central shoot. The popular flowers of the shrub only arise from new shoots from the previous year, so you should under no circumstances cut the forsythia like other trees and shrubs in autumn. Otherwise you have to reckon with the fact that no or only very few flowers will form in spring. Ideally, prune the new branches after flowering in spring. This gives the plant enough time over the summer to form new shoots, which will then bloom again next spring. More information about the right pruning of forsythia can be found here.

The right time for pruning is crucial for forsythia

By the way: Although the forsythia forms many bright flowers, it is of no interest to bees. The forsythia found in this country are almost all hybrid varieties that do not produce pollen and therefore do not attract bees. You can find the most bee-friendly plants for your own garden here.

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Forsythia don't actually need to be watered

The same applies to fertilization as to watering: apart from working in compost once, you can do without fertilizer. Forsythia also grows well in less nutrient-rich locations.

Here is a summary of everything you need to know about caring for forsythia:

  • Watering usually not necessary
  • Only water during extreme drought
  • No fertilization

Propagate forsythia yourself

If you decide to plant a forsythia in your garden, you can purchase it from a gardener or garden centre. The sowing is rather unusual and takes much longer. A good way to grow multiple plants is through cuttings and offshoots. We present both variants and explain the difference.

Propagating forsythia by cuttings

Basically, taking cuttings is the easiest way to quickly propagate forsythia. Proceed as follows: In early summer, cut off several slightly woody shoots about 15 cm long from the bush. Then first remove the flowers and the lower leaves. Then plant the cutting in the ground, preferably directly in the garden. To increase the chances of successful root formation, it makes sense to plant several cuttings at the same time.

Blossoms and leaves should be removed from a forsythia cutting

Propagating forsythia by cuttings

Another simple method of propagation is the formation of offshoots (also called sinkers). In contrast to cuttings, no shoots are cut off forsythia, but (as the name suggests) shoots are bent towards the ground. Choose long shoots and dig them into a small groove in the ground. ThatThe end of the shoot should look out of the ground again. Make sure that there is enough soil on the branch. Before burying, cut light notches in the bark of the branch - new offshoots will develop from this over the course of a year. After about a year, you can then separate the new offshoots and replant them.

Forsythia are beautiful to look at with their yellow flowers, but offer little food for insects. In our overview you will find a large selection of insect-friendly flowers.

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