It’s another disappointing year for our forsythia bushes. There are just a few yellow flowers and a lot of bare branches.
There are a lot of buds along those branches, so I think we’ll have a bumper crop of leaves. My plan is to give the forsythia a really good haircut this weekend. I hope that will help to reset it. I’m pretty sure that forsythia set their blooms fairly early, so if I prune too late, I’ll cut off next year’s blossoms… Not that I’m too optimistic about our chances of that given our experience the last two years.
I like tracking the onset of spring by comparing our forsythia every year. The timing of this year’s blooms, such as they are, are in line with two years ago:
- 2015: Beginning of May
- 2014: Middle of May
- 2013: Beginning of May
- 2012: Beginning of April
What’s blooming at your house? Do you have any tips for encouraging forsythia blossoms?
Home on 129 Acres 
Our Forsythia has been blooming here for about 2 weeks. I think the haircut will really help.
I hope so!
I was going to suggest the same. Maybe a good hack will give it a fresh start!
Glad I’m not out to lunch with my theory.
I hope you have better luck next year! A winter that’s not like the North Pole has been displaced would probably help too…
I think polar vortexes and arctic chills are definitely to blame.