Snow forsythia, Abeliophyllum distichum: care from A-Z

The yellow forsythia is well known: the snow forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) is different. It is a real rarity. With its white to delicate pink flowers that cover the wood from March to May, it creates beautiful contrasts in the spring-like garden. They also give off a sweet scent of almonds. Although it can be a real asset, the snow forsythia is rarely found in home gardens.

Characteristics

• Plant family: Oleaceae
• Botanical name: Abeliophyllum distichum
• Common name: snow forsythia, white forsythia
• Growth: upright, heavily overhanging when old
• Growth height: up to 200 cm
• Flowering period: March to April / May, in warm years already in February
• Blossom: simple, delicate pink on the outside, pure white on the inside, fragrant
• Leaf: green, oval, lanceolate, shedding leaves
• Lime tolerance: lime tolerant
• Toxicity: slightly toxic when consumed

Location and soil

The snow forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) is a very adaptable wood and can be both sunny and partially shaded. It would also grow in the shade, but at the expense of the flower. In keeping with its natural habitat, this forsythia feels most comfortable on rocky, wind-protected and damp surfaces.

In order to meet these needs in the garden as much as possible, one should pay attention to permeable, nutrient-rich, humus and lime-poor soil. By working in coarse sand or gravel, you can make them more permeable if necessary and thus avoid waterlogging. A barren soil can be upgraded with horn shavings or plenty of compost. Permanently dry and very calcareous soils should, however, be avoided.

Planting instructions

This beautiful early bloomer is best planted in early spring, i.e. from March to April or between September and October. There should be no more ground frost. Ideally, you should choose a dry, frost-free and cloudy day.

• Thoroughly water the root ball before planting
• in the meantime loosen the soil in the planting area
• in the case of permanently moist soils, lay drainage
• Plant hole at least twice as deep and wide as the root ball
• Mix the excavated earth with plenty of compost or horn shavings
• Pot the snow forsythia and insert in the middle
• Plant as deep as you did before in the pot
• fill up with excavated earth
• shake it slightly back and forth when filling
• Cavities in the root area can thus be avoided
• Press the earth down with your hands without compacting it too much
• then rinse thoroughly

Tip: The snow forsythia also cuts a fine figure in large pots. But then it is a little more maintenance-intensive.

Avoid transplanting older specimens

Transplanting is usually unproblematic in the first three to four years. However, it is more difficult with older plants. At the time of transplanting, the leaves should not have started to shoot. When digging up the plant, as much soil as possible should be left at the roots. This makes it a little easier for forsythia to grow. After transplanting, a slight pruning can be useful.

Care instructions

to water

To ensure that the forsythia takes root well, it should be watered regularly for the first few days after planting, especially in dry weather. Otherwise it could be damaged by drought. As soon as it is well rooted, the natural amounts of rain are usually sufficient, so that watering only has to be carried out if the drought persists.

Plants in the tub need a little more and more water, as the substrate dries out much faster here. However, a good process is important so that waterlogging does not develop. It is best to use tap water with little lime or stale water for watering.

Tip: If you cover the soil in the planting area with mulch, it will keep the moisture in the soil longer and protect it from drying out.

Fertilize

The frugality of white forsythia is also evident when it comes to fertilizing. If it was already supplied with compost or another organic fertilizer when it was planted, it usually no longer needs additional fertilizer. This also applies if it stands on a soil rich in humus. Only particularly poor soils should be upgraded with a compost in the spring. Container plants, on the other hand, can be fertilized every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants from April to October.

Cut

Probably the most important part of grooming is the pruning, which should not be started before the third year of standing. In the case of the snow forsythia, it is sufficient anyway to only cut it every two to three years, in contrast to the yellow forsythia, which requires an annual cut. In no case should you completely do without cutting measures.

Plants that are cut for a long time or not at all will develop long, strong, upward shoots over the years. Inside, they become more and more dense because they branch out more and more. This leads to the fact that they overhang heavily on the sides and bare underneath. Flowers then only form on the outer edge, the willingness to bloom clearly decreases. To counteract this, you should cut regularly.

Best time to cut

Because from this point on, the forsythia can concentrate on the formation of new flower buds. They are laid out on the annual wood in autumn for the coming year. With a later cut, these would also be removed and the next bloom would not appear.

Older, long-neglected plants are an exception. They can also be cut back in autumn, as the bloom formation here suffers a lot anyway or does not take place at all. The pruning should not be too frequent or too strong, because in contrast to the common yellow variant, the white forsythia grows more slowly.

Tip: The branches of the white forsythia are very suitable as Barbara branches. So if you cut on St. December), they show their full splendor at Christmas.

Clearance or preservation cut

• clear in the third year at the earliest
• repeat every two to three years
• remove old, lignified, non-blooming shoots that are too close together
• Shorten heavily ramified branches to a young shoot that grows upwards
• or up to a vigorous bud
• every three years after flowering, approx. Cut off a third of the old basic shoots
• Cut back overhanging shoots to new, upright ones to narrow the crown
• always cut directly at the base
• leave no stubs behind

Taper cut

A rejuvenation pruning is useful for plants that have never been cut, have been neglected for a long time or whose bloom formation has greatly diminished. Over time, the snow forsythia forms a dense undergrowth of leafless, thin and weak branches that hardly produce any flowers. A taper cut can help here.

• Do not limit the cut to one year
• spread over two to three years
• Cutting time in early spring or in winter
• Remove all but four or five strong twigs
• Cut off a few centimeters above the ground
• in the next late winter, poorly developed and too thin new shoots follow
• Shorten the remaining shoots to different lengths
• Finally, remove the four or five remaining branches from the previous year

By shortening them to different lengths, the plants branch out better, creating a new crown. In the third year at the latest, you will be rewarded with new blossoms.

Hedge trimming

The snow forsythia is actually not the optimal plant for a hedge, because it can hardly offer permanent privacy protection. In any case, you should make sure that it does not become too lignified, because neither leaves nor flowers would form on these shoots. Hedge trimming should be done after flowering and regularly so that the plants retain their shape.

A shape cut is basically possible at any time and should be limited to shortening protruding and heavily overhanging shoots as well as removing shoots that are too close together. Dead and diseased shoots should also be cut out regularly. To prevent excessive baldness, it is advisable to close the plants about every two to three years rejuvenate by placing all heavily woody shoots close to the ground in winter or early spring cuts back.

Tip: Owners of dogs and cats should ensure that all clippings are completely removed, as forsythia is also slightly poisonous for these animals and can possibly lead to discomfort.

Overwinter

The snow forsythia, which comes from Korea, is very hardy in this country. Even at minus degrees in the double-digit range, specimens planted in the garden usually do not need winter protection. However, late frosts can be problematic. Buds and flowers can freeze to death. Therefore it can, especially in unfavorable locations and with younger or For freshly planted specimens, it makes sense to cover them with brushwood and wrap the branches in a garden fleece at night.

Plants kept in pots, on the other hand, are significantly more sensitive to frost. There is a risk that the bale will freeze through. In order to survive the winter unscathed, they should be placed away from the ground, on a wooden base or a styrofoam plate. To do this, it is advisable to cover the bale with brushwood, straw or leafy soil and wrap the shoots again with a fleece.

Multiply

Cuttings

The cuttings needed for propagation are cut in spring after flowering. Here you cut 10-15 cm long, well-developed shoot tips. Then the lower leaves are removed, as well as possible buds and flowers. Now the cuttings can be put in small pots with potting soil or directly in the soil in the garden. The latter, however, requires constant and warm weather as possible.

After insertion, the substrate is moistened and the pots are covered with a translucent film. The cover must be removed regularly to ventilate the substrate, otherwise there is a risk of mold growth. The whole thing is placed in a bright and warm place without direct sunlight and the soil is kept evenly moist. As soon as a fresh shoot appears, the cover can be removed. By the next spring, the cuttings will usually have enough roots and can be planted out.

Cuttings

Propagation via cuttings is most commonly used in flowering shrubs such as forsythia. It is possible from late autumn to shortly before budding in spring. All annual woody shoots serve as cuttings.

• Timber cuttings should be long, straight, and strong
• the entire drive is used
• with the exception of the thin, immature shoot tips
• Cut the shoot into 15-20 cm long pieces
• each should end with an eye at the top and bottom
• Do not confuse the top and bottom of the log
• it is best to cut it diagonally at one end

Insert the freshly cut cuttings so deep into the ground that they only protrude about two centimeters. Before doing this, the soil should be well loosened and, if necessary, some humus should be worked under. After the final pouring, you can safely leave it to itself.

Offshoot

The snow forsythia can also be propagated well using offshoots. For this purpose, a strong but flexible shoot close to the ground is selected in autumn. Under this shoot you loosen the soil and draw a narrow channel. Then you bend the shoot carefully to the ground, scratch it lightly in some places to accelerate the formation of roots, and place it in the hollow of the earth.

Then you cover it with soil so that only the tip of the shoot is visible. The earth is pressed down and the offshoot is fixed in the ground with wires, pegs or small stones to prevent it from popping out again. Now just pour on and wait. By next spring, the offshoot should have developed roots so that it can be separated from the mother plant and planted separately.

Tip: In order to develop the correct growth habit, it is advisable to attach the shoot tip vertically.

Diseases / pests

Only waterlogging over a longer period of time can affect it. The wetness would attack the roots and lead to rot. It is therefore all the more important to be in the right location or to respect a good soil. Short-term drought, on the other hand, cannot harm it.

Tip: Occasionally one can observe a color change from originally white to pink during the flowering of this forsythia. Possible causes for this can be the age of the plant, weather conditions or the nature of the soil.