Forsythia not flowering – causes and solutions
Forsythia, also known as easter tree, is a popular ornamental shrub that heralds the arrival of spring with its bright yellow flowers. But sometimes it fails to flower. If your forsythia is not flowering, there could be a number of reasons. Here are the most common causes and what you can do to make sure your forsythia blooms again next year.
1. Forsythia not flowering due to incorrect or missing pruning
Forsythia flowers are mainly found on the short side branches of two to three-year-old shoots and on the long one-year-old shoots. It is therefore a good idea to prune the forsythia back every two to three years.
To encourage your forsythia to flower again, you should prune it regularly, preferably immediately after flowering. If you prune the forsythia in autumn or winter, you will unintentionally remove the shoots that have already formed flower buds for next year.
👉  Prune your forsythia vigorously every two years, removing some of the oldest shoots.
2. Forsythia fails to flower after rejuvenation pruning
If a forsythia has lost most of its leaves and hardly any flowers, the only thing that will help is a rejuvenating pruning. This is done in autumn or late winter. Cut off all but a few of the branches close to the ground. But be careful: after radical pruning, the forsythia may not flower at all the following year.
👉 To make sure the forsythia flowers anyway, you can spread the rejuvenating pruning over two years. In this way, some of the flowering shoots will always remain.
3. Forsythia not flowering due to late frost
Another reason for a lack of flowers on your forsythia is frost. Late frosts in spring can damage the delicate flower buds. A sudden drop in temperature can destroy them, especially if the forsythia has already formed buds.
👉 In cold regions, it is advisable to choose a location that is protected from the wind or to protect the forsythia with fleece if late frosts are forecast.
4. Forsythia does not flower because of the wrong location
Forsythias need a sunny location. If they are too shady, they will also flower less abundantly. The soil must also be well-drained, nutrient-rich and humus-rich. The plants grow poorly and produce few flowers on light sandy soils or heavy soils.
👉 Choose a sunny and warm location for your golden bells. Sandy soils should be improved with compost, while heavy soils should be made more permeable with sand.