Cutting forsythia: when & how to proceed

Forsythia shine in a bright yellow with the first warmer days. But the wrong cut can destroy the entire flower.

The forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) is one of the most popular shrubs in German gardens and is known to most for its striking, yellow flowers. The plant belonging to the olive family (Oleaceae), shines anew every year with the right technology. If, on the other hand, the forsythia is cut at the wrong time, you will have to accept that it will not bloom in spring. We show how you can avoid mistakes when cutting.

Cutting forsythia: when is the right time?

When it comes to forsythia, the right time is always crucial for lush bloom. The yellow-flowered plant is called mesotonic in botany, which means that new shoots grow almost exclusively from the main shoot. The bright yellow flowers only appear on the fresh shoots each year. When you should and when not to cut the flower, you will find out below.

Cutting forsythia in autumn?

A common mistake when caring for forsythia is to cut in the fall. Most of the new shoots that grow in summer and bloom next spring are removed. The ambitious gardener receives the receipt directly next spring, if the blossoms fail to appear. The following always applies: Never cut off new shoots in autumn, but you can remove old and dead branches without hesitation.

Prune forsythia after flowering

Even if the forsythia should not be cut in autumn, it is still advisable to cut the new shoots once a year. The period from spring to early summer after the forsythia has bloomed is best for this. In the course of the summer, the plant still has enough opportunity to develop fresh shoots for renewed flowering in the following year.

When cutting forsythia, pay attention to the following tips:

• Never cut new shoots in autumn
• Only remove old, dead branches in autumn
• Cut the shoots after the flowering period

These products are ideal for cutting your shrubs, hedges and trees:

• Felco secateurs: Manual pruning, pruning and pruning shears recommended for all types of cutting. In addition to plastic-coated handles, it has a precision adjustment system for the blade and anvil blade.
• Felco fruit tree and secateurs: Robust fruit tree and secateurs with wire cutter, sap groove and micrometer adjustment.
• Gardena telescopic arm scissors: Practical secateurs for effortless cutting of tall trees and dense shrubs from the ground.

Cutting forsythia: instructions for the correct cut

Cutting the forsythia is generally useful in order to keep the plant healthy in the long term and to guarantee the desired flowering in spring. In the following we present different types of cuts.

Cut forsythia regularly

With the one already mentioned Clearance cut Blown out and old shoots are carefully cut off so that enough light comes into the heavily branched interior of the shrub. In addition to this, it will keep the flowers in bloom for the next year. It is best to carry out this cut every year after flowering, this will increase the flowering enormously. In addition, it makes sense if overhanging, diseased and old branches are removed all year round.

Cutting forsythia radically: Bringing neglected forsythia into shape

To cut a sprawling forsythia back to size, the so-called Conservation cut. In doing so, you cut the shrub back relatively strongly at least every three years and remove strong branches. An even more radical, but definitely sensible method is that Taper cut. You should do this when the forsythia is attacked by a fungus or only grows sparsely. To do this, cut down the majority of the shoots relatively strongly and leave only a few branches.

If you follow these tips, nothing stands in the way of forsythia health and abundant bloom.

More information about the Forsythia, for example for planting or propagation, can be found in this overview article.