I am planing to plant some forsythia this spring. The site I had in mind is under an tall oak tree in a south slope. The east side is backed by a 7 ft fence. It gets plenty of sun in winter/early spring, before the oak leaves out. But in spring/summer/early fall the site gets medium shade. Is this a good site for forsythia? Please advise. Thanks!

Forsythia's yellow flowers give a burst of color in late winter and early spring. The plants vary in size from dwarf varieties that grow only a foot tall to shrubs that reach 8-10 feet in height. The plants can quickly get out of bounds if not pruned regularly, but when given enough room to grow without pruning, they take on a graceful appearance. They tolerate poor growing conditions and city life well.

Forsythias thrive in zones 5-9 in almost any type of soil. They do will in full sun or light shade. So as long as your location will give it some sun, it should do fine there....unless of course you have one of the 10 foot varieties.

Flowers form on the previous year's growth rather than new growth, so prune as soon as the flowers have faded. Cut back about a third of the stems that are more than four years old to within four inches of the ground.


Good luck
Barb

barbsblooms@shaw.ca