Forsythia

Ann, I just watched your tips on pruning forsythia. I was not sure if we can prune during March. Mine has already started budding/flowering. If I can prune in March, should I go all the way to the ground and not prune half way down? This plant is about 8 years old and spreading quickly. I have thinned it out several times, but is still very large. Also, how often and what fertilizer should I use.

I would appreciate your reply.

Thanks,

Sylvia N.

Anne's Response:

I prune my forsythia when it finishes blooming and expect that to be in about two weeks. You do have to be careful to keep the cascading stems from rooting as they touch the ground. That means that very long stems do have to be cut back each year. You also need to dig out any sections of the plant that exceed the dimensions of the space you want to fill. It is a very aggressive plant and I have never fertilized the one in my yard.