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Tag: Forsythia

  • How to Care for Cold-Damaged Forsythia | Gardener’s Path

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    If there has been soil erosion, you may need to supply more to secure and cover the roots.

    Once spring comes, there’s usually rain. But if there isn’t at least an inch per week, provide supplemental irrigation.

    Cold-stressed flora benefits from consistent moisture for recovery. Just don’t overdo it – no soggy soil.

    It’s a good idea to promote lush foliar growth by fertilizing recovering bushes in the spring. Use an all-purpose, slow-release granular product per package instructions.

    Never fertilize at the end of the growing season, or you’ll end up with soft, weak stems that don’t have time to build strength and harden off before winter.

    Shrubs that are stressed by adverse weather conditions are more vulnerable to pests and diseases than healthy ones, so it’s wise to rehabilitate ASAP.

    Preventative Methods

    In addition to knowing the signs of injury and how to restore affected foliage, there are proactive steps you can take to give your shrubs a leg up on weathering the worst.

    Here are five:

    1. Plant in locations with shelter from wind, such as near building foundations and fences.
    2. Before the first frost of fall, water deeply at the soil level to allow stems to take up water and essential nutrients just prior to dormancy.
    3. Fertilize in spring with a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer to stimulate healthy foliar growth.
    4. As summer draws to a close, place a two-inch layer of mulch over the roots to help minimize ground soil temperature fluctuations, inhibit heaving, and aid in moisture retention.
    5. Wrap dormant shrubs in burlap for added protection.

    Burlap is an excellent protective fabric because it allows for good airflow, which is still essential, even in chilly weather. With poor circulation, foliage is more susceptible to fungal diseases.

    Cover small bushes entirely and wrap the bundle with twine.

    For larger ones, create a shelter using tall, sturdy stakes with burlap wrapped around them.

    The top branches will likely be exposed, but even so, the overall warmth and wind resistance will be greater with perimeter coverage.

    A close up square image of a large burlap material used to cover perennial shrubs in the winter.

    Biodegradable Natural Burlap from Burpee

    Find biodegradable natural burlap from Burpee in three-by-24-foot rolls.

    A Good Prognosis

    Temperatures that plunge suddenly, fluctuate wildly, and remain low for prolonged periods can cause harm that ranges from mild setbacks with snapped twigs and fewer blooms, to devastating cases of fatal winter kill.

    A close up horizontal image of the branches of a woody shrub covered in a layer of snow pictured on a soft focus background.A close up horizontal image of the branches of a woody shrub covered in a layer of snow pictured on a soft focus background.

    Sometimes one shrub fails to survive a rough winter, while another sails through unscathed. This can happen because no two plants or their locations are exactly alike.

    A host of differences may exist, such as:

    Overall, hardy forsythia that is grown in the appropriate zones is resilient and more likely to weather cold blasts than it is to fall victim to them.

    How do you protect your forsythia from the winter chill? Let us know in the comments section below!

    And for more information about growing forsythia in your garden, you may want to read these guides next:

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    Nan Schiller

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  • 13 of the Best Forsythia Varieties for Glorious Spring Color

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    Expect a mature height and width of four to six feet.

    Growth is upward and arching, for naturalistic, informal privacy hedges, stand-alone specimens, or mixed shrub groupings.

    8. Lynwood Gold

    F. x intermedia ‘Lynwood Gold’ reaches heights of six to eight feet with a spread of eight to 10 feet, and has an upward, branching growth habit.

    You can create privacy around a property perimeter, or plant as an imposing stand-alone specimen that welcomes spring with voluminous quantities of bold blossoms.

    A close up square image of 'Lynwood Gold' forsythia growing in the garden pictured on a blue sky background.

    ‘Lynwood Gold’

    Foliage may shade toward gold and purple in autumn.

    Find ‘Lynwood Gold’ in quart-size containers or as bare roots available at Nature Hills Nursery.

    9. Magical® Gold

    F. x intermedia Magical® ‘Gold’, aka ‘Kolgold’, is an early-blooming type with modest dimensions of three to four feet tall and wide.

    Unlike many varieties, this cultivar blooms on both old and new wood, and provides masses of golden color on its upright branches.

    A close up square image of the springtime flowers of 'Magical Gold' forsythia growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.A close up square image of the springtime flowers of 'Magical Gold' forsythia growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

    Magical® ‘Gold’

    It’s best suited to planting as low friendly hedges, mixed shrub groupings, and stand-alone placements.

    Foliage bronzes to golds and purples in the fall.

    You can find potted starter plants available from Burpee.

    10. Meadowlark

    F. x ‘Meadowlark’ is one of the most cold-hardy late winter to early spring choices. It’s a hybrid cross between F. ovata and F. europaea, and is hardy as far north as Zone 3.

    It is densely branched and reaches impressive heights of eight to 10 feet with an equal spread.

    A close up square image of the bright flowers of 'Meadowlark' forsythia blooming in springtime.A close up square image of the bright flowers of 'Meadowlark' forsythia blooming in springtime.

    ‘Meadowlark’

    ‘Meadowlark’ makes a spectacular privacy hedge, windbreak, or stand-alone, with its thicket of stems.

    Enjoy masses of bright yellow in the spring and foliage that shades to purple in the fall.

    You can find bare root stems available at Nature Hills Nursery.

    11. Northern Gold

    F. x intermedia ‘Northern Gold’ is a cold-hardy champion bred specifically for northern climates.

    This Canadian-bred cultivar has flower buds that can survive temperatures down to -30°F, making it reliable in Zones 3 through 8.

    It reaches a manageable six to eight feet in height with an equal spread. The growth habit is upright and arching, creating an attractive rounded form.

    The bright golden-yellow flowers are particularly abundant and reliable, even following harsh cold snaps that would damage less hardy varieties.

    A square image of 'Northern Gold' forsythia in full bloom in the spring garden.A square image of 'Northern Gold' forsythia in full bloom in the spring garden.

    ‘Northern Gold’

    This is an excellent choice for gardeners in cold climates who want a classic forsythia without worrying about bud damage.

    Use it as a specimen plant, in mixed shrub borders, or plant several for an informal hedge. Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow and purple in fall.

    You can find ‘Northern Gold’ available at Fast Growing Trees in two-gallon containers.

    12. Show Off® Mindor

    F. x intermedia ‘Mindor’ is an early spring flowering shrub that has dense, upright branches.

    An abundance of bright yellow flowers are followed by deep green leaves that turn burgundy as autumn rolls around.

    A close up square image of a small forsythia shrub growing in the garden with lawn in the background.A close up square image of a small forsythia shrub growing in the garden with lawn in the background.

    Show Off® ‘Mindor’

    With heights and widths of five to six feet, its vertical growth habit and compact form makes it well suited to close planting for hedging.

    You can find ‘Mindor’ in quart-sized or #2 containers available at Nature Hills Nursery.

    13. Sunrise

    Known as “semi-compact,” F. x intermedia ‘Sunrise’ is a late winter to early spring selection with upright branches and a mounding growth habit. This cultivar is hardy to Zone 4.

    A close up square image of the bright yellow flowers of 'Sunrise' forsythia growing in the garden.A close up square image of the bright yellow flowers of 'Sunrise' forsythia growing in the garden.

    ‘Sunrise’

    Its airy nature and four- to six-feet height make this an attractive choice for stand-alone or mixed shrub group placements.

    Foliage deepens to purple hues in autumn.

    You can find bare root plants available at Nature Hills Nursery.

    What’s Not to Love?

    Although I tend to favor native plants, I like non-native forsythia because it’s a part of my family’s gardening culture.

    As a matter of fact, it’s so prevalent in my region that at one time I thought it was native to Pennsylvania.

    A close up horizontal image of the bright yellow flowers of spring-blooming forsythia pictured in bright sunshine on a blue sky background.A close up horizontal image of the bright yellow flowers of spring-blooming forsythia pictured in bright sunshine on a blue sky background.

    For me, the first sighting of yellow brings a sense of giddy anticipation of the gardening season to come, and a welcome sense of having weathered another winter.

    I also like forsythia because it is so user friendly. Simply snip a stem and push it into the soil, or bend a branch to the ground and cover it with a rock, and nine times out of ten, roots will sprout.

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    Nan Schiller

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