Forsythia?

Hi all,

Getting alot of posts on this thread aren't we :D

After being a member for a year, i thought i'd sussed this as a forsythia. It was given to us as a little cutting some years ago.

However after looking at pics etc all the forsythias seem to be shrubs whereas this is more like a little tree. we haven't pruned it.

could you confirm for me please? or put me right as to what it is.




Also the flowers this year are coming on the right hand side and the sun is only coming in from the other side :confused: Why is that?

many thanks
cheers

 

Looks like one to me. Perhaps you should cut out those old branches to encourage new growth. Untie that rope and what sags cut off!

[ 28. March 2008, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Paladin ]

 

Right o Pal. Forgot that twine was even there!

i'll sort it, promise.

cheers

 

Does look like it needs thinning out B, do it immediately after flowering, then it will have the summer(?) to grow again.

 

I'm confused, i am sure this kept flowering -usually all around - right through the summer :confused:
I feel ashamed now, i didn't know it was supposed to be a shrub & that i had to thin it or prune it I thought it was a little tree.
Now i can understand, it has more than one trunk, a few stems - is that right?
I even told hubby about the twine & he made me put the pic back up, he didn't remember it being there and he took the pic for me :rolleyes:

So shall i cut now or wait? I'll take the twine off and as you said pal, will cut off anything drooping but what about the rest. I'll have to read up about thining out. Think i know what it means but will double check.

thanks

cheers

 

Wait B,until it stops flowering,then go for it.
I cut out old wood and leave the new growth to flower the following year. I am a bit heavy with the pruning but have to be, to keep them tidy and compact.

 

okey dokey.
i didn't realise mine was supposed to be neat & compact, i thought it was alright but i forgot the twine was holding it all in

Will sort it out this year. How long before it looks like a proper forsythia do you reckon? will it be next year?

cheers

 

This one is in a very exposed position and has to be kept trim or it gets damaged. The wind is giving it a battering right now.

 

Thanks Pal, can see how it's supposed to look now. Just shows i wasn't kidding about being a newbie doesn't it? Twit

Going to do that, about cutting off dead wood. I will let the branches 'go' next week & cut off anything that doesn't have new shoots. Although we are going to cover that piece of soil, we will leave that there. Same as another (the only other actually) bush we have, will post a pic soon cos i don't know what that is either but i won't let it be dug up! The birds nest in it every year, don't know why it's not very good. Also they love the berries that come on.

Anyway, thanks for all your help. Hopefully now we will give it the treatment it deserves!

cheers

 

Pals is a good example.

Remeber what you want is new basal shoots not hedge trimmer pruning( unless your using it a a hedge or large feature bush).

after this years flowering cut out about four of the woody old stems clean off at the base and trim the top growth as normal, same next season your end result in 3 years will be like pals with flowers from the base upwards.

 

Borrowers, you are not a twit at all, you are a new gardener who is doing the intelligent thing of asking questions. It`s how we all got our knowledge. If you don`t know, ask.

 

Thanks for all your help.

I didn't know that(what can i say!) about putting the cut stems in water. That's lovely.

David, thank you for your kind words. It's just that i feel bad never being able to answer anything, i always do the asking. Anyway, the knowledge i have learned will go into my garden this year.

cheers everyone.