Why Doesn't My Forsythia Bloom Well?

[Chattyaholic]

I have a large forsythia bush, and a small one, in my yard. Neither of them bloom well.

I can understand the small one, as it doesn't get a lot of sun as it is dwarfed by a pine tree.

But the large one stands alone in full sun. DH has tried trimming it one year, still not many blooms. The next year he leaves it alone, still not many blooms. I think about fertilizing, but yet I see forsythia bushes by old, abandoned barns that are loaded with blooms. I'm sure nobody takes the time to fertilize those.

So, why won't mine bloom well? There are a few flowers, but not loads.

 

[MazdaUK]

Once its finished flowering, cut it back quite hard (maybe 12" off branches), not cutting into old wood but removing any wispy bits or any that cross over. This will bring lots of new growth which should have plenty of flowers next year. If you stick the prunings in any old bit of earth (a planter will do) many of them will take root - no rooting hormone needed.

I think its water rather than fertiliser that's the answer - that's why UK forsythia flower so well

 

[rockyroad]

I have a hedge of forsythia that are the old kind that I got from an old house that was demolished to make way for a big building.

They are about 20 years old now. Sometimes they flower well and sometimes they don't. Some years it will warm up and some flowers will open and then it will get cold again. After a few of those false starts many of the flowers are already blown by the time they flower for real.

They never flower as heavily as some of the newer hybrids.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Do you put a high nitrogen fertilizer on your lawn?

Nitrogen will encourage green growth to the detriment of blooms. This may be the problem.