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Grafted forsythia with a floppy trunk

loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10
in Problem solving
I bought a cut-price single stem grafted forsythia from the garden centre a few years back and it’s been in a large pot since then. It’s flowered and is still alive and in leaf however the trunk has flopped and cannot hold itself up without serious staking! I cut a couple of suckers off several months back but have never pruned it but wouldn’t say it’s top-heavy. I have just planted it in the ground today to see if it will be happier. It was a little bit pot-bound so I’ve just teased the roots a bit and added some fish, blood and bone to the hole.
Any ideas if there’s anything else I could or should be doing? Or is this one a write-off?
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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,189
    edited October 2021
    Hello @loriannenormanCxjxvb5C and welcome to the forum
    😊 

    i must say that it doesn’t sound a very successful idea and certainly not one I’ve ever seen.  In my experience forsythia branches are quite bendy and I think it would take a long time for it to be strong enough to self-support. I imagine it was supported by a cane when you bought it?

    Can you show us a photo of the whole shrub please,  to give us some idea of what might be a successful plan of action. 

    To upload a photo here click on the little landscape icon and follow the instructions …if your photo fails to appear reducing the size usually works. If it still doesn’t work give us a shout and someone will have an idea of how to help 😊 

    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 49,041
    That sounds odd. I haven't heard of one of those being grafted, but who knows.
    A pic will certainly be helpful, just in case it isn't actually a Forsythia either  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10

  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10
    Thanks for your replies. I have added some photos, hopefully they are showing.
    It had a bamboo cane supporting it when I bought it but that was no longer up to the job.
  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10

  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10
    Sorry, couldn’t work out how to turn them the other way!
  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10
    If it wasn’t tied on it would flip right over.
  • JennyJJennyJ DoncasterPosts: 7,682
    Forsythia suspensa has stems that are lax and floppy particularly when young, and are often grown against a fence or wall and tied in.
    I don't think I've heard of forsythia being grafted before, other than top-grafting on top of a long straight trunk to make a standard, and it doesn't normally flower this late in the year, but I can't for the life of me think what else it could be. Also, is that its normal leaf colour throughout the summer, or are they just turning ready to fall?

  • loriannenormanCxjxvb5CloriannenormanCxjxvb5C Posts: 10
    The leaves were green but have just recently turned that colour. We are in Jersey so quite a warm climate which maybe explains the flowering. It did the same last year and still flowered in the spring.
  • JennyJJennyJ DoncasterPosts: 7,682
    That makes sense!
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