I Have Two Forsythia Bushes In The Yard; One Blooms,…
Mary Ann Asked
I have two forsythia bushes in the yard; one blooms, and the other, a larger untrimmed bush, never blooms. Why not?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Mary Ann: Are your forsythia planted in the same space? If one is receiving more sun than the other, this may be part of the problem. Forsythia blooms best when planted in full sun. This means it should get at least six hours of direct sun each day. Another likely possibility is that it would like to be pruned. Have you pruned one and not the other? Forsythia will benefit from an annual pruning to remove old woody canes that no longer produce flowers. The best time to prune is after they bloom, or should have bloomed, in the spring. Use a sharp, clean pair of pruners and remove the thicker canes. We typically do not want to remove more than one-third of the entire size of the plant, so depending on how big your shrub is it may take a couple of seasons to rejuvenate, but pruning now will certainly promote new growth and allow for flowering next spring. I hope this is helpful and next spring both of your shrubs will bloom!
