ID please
Thanks to you wonderful people I now know what everything is in my garden. Just this last one. Could anyone help identify it and if so how on earth do I go about cutting it back and pruning it?? It's rather top heavy as you can see and would like to try and bring it into line a little bit. Thank you all X
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that's a Forsythia
I think they're best pruned by cutting some old stems right to the ground. Usually recommended to be done after flowering but I'd do some of those this winter, it will look better at flowering time. Then next year you can take a few more out. It will grow new stems and in a year or to will be a new bush.
Shortening all the stems to the required height gives you the shapeless blob you have there.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Nutcutlet. Thank you!!
I was googling 'thick bumpy stems' this morning haha and it did come up with forsythia but the leaves were yellow so didn't think it could be that!
I just don't know where to begin with it and don't want to kill it. I admit I have just been cutting down the massive shoots at the top
So I am safe to have a go at it soon?
It will be easier to see what you're doing after the leaves fall. I don't think you'll kill it without a tub of glyphosate or a can of petrol and a match
I should think the yellow in the pics was flowers. It's the way they're always pictured. It can be quite hard to find a photo of a plant's leaves
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ah ok. I have to be honest. Having never paid much attention to it in the past I can't honestly recall whether it has produced any yellow flowers ( bad me). Well I will have a go at it and maybe in a couple of years it will flush with flowers! Thanks again Nutcutlet
In the sticks near Peterborough
Just another quickie about this forsythia. Been having a look at it today deciding what I will need to cut and wondered if you could tell me which of these two s I should cut back as they are crossing. The bigger dark one or the skinnier lighter one!!
Last edited: 31 August 2016 15:59:48
I'd go for the darker one as it is older wood. It would be worth a quick check to see how many branches it has higher up in case it leaves an odd shape.
Thanks Muddyfork. Looking at it I actually just don't know where to begin. Branches at the bottom are completely bare with sporadic new growth at ground level and then loads of growth at the top! It is the saddest and oddest of shapes as it is right now. !
Thank you Lantana.
I have never pruned it since I've lived here. Just leaving it to get on with it. But since I've developed the gardening bug it's made me pay attention to it and there's all sorts of mess going on in there. Must admit I was mildly tempted to cut all way back and start again even though I would be sacrificing flowers etc for a while.