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European forsythia is a tall, branched, deciduous shrub that looks spectacular both in single plantings and in flower arrangements. Most often this species is used to form a hedge. The leading characteristics of the plant are unpretentiousness, frost resistance, disease resistance and immunity to air pollution levels. Thanks to these qualities, shrubs are grown in almost all regions of Russia, not only in private plots, but also in city parks and playgrounds.
A description of European forsythia and photos of the shrub are presented in the sections below.
Description of European forsythia
European forsythia (in Latin - Forsythia europaea) is a fast-growing species of spreading shrubs of the Olive family native to the Balkan Peninsula. The height of the plant can reach 2-3 m, the average diameter is 2.5-3 m. The average annual growth of this garden crop is about 25 cm in both height and width. The lifespan of European forsythia varies from 50 to 70 years.
The shoots of the species are strong, elastic and erect. The shape of the crown is ovoid, slightly elongated.The leaves are small - no more than 8 cm in length, light green, oval, slightly tapered towards the end. The flowers of European forsythia are similar in appearance to large bells of a rich dark yellow color. Their diameter is 3.5-4 cm.
A characteristic feature of the species is early flowering in April or even March, which occurs long before the leaves bloom. The end of flowering occurs at the end of October. European forsythia blooms for the first time 3-4 years after planting.
The plant is frost-resistant, however, its resistance to drought is average. Seed germination is only 20%, so the species is propagated mainly by vegetative methods.
Planting and caring for European forsythia
European forsythia is usually planted in open sunny areas, since in the shade the growth of the bush is inhibited. The species is demanding of warmth, however, it tolerates low autumn temperatures well and does not require shelter in central Russia. Even if the shoots freeze out during particularly harsh winters, the bush quickly recovers in the spring. In the Northern regions, the tree trunk area under the bushes is sprinkled with dry leaves before winter.
The type of soil in the garden plot does not matter much; however, European forsythia prefers moderately dry, fertile, well-drained soil.
Preparation of planting site and seedlings
Despite the fact that the shrub does not have any special requirements for soil composition, it grows best in alkaline soil. If the soil acidity level in the area is too high, it is recommended to slightly adjust the soil composition.To do this, the selected location is dug up several weeks before planting and wood ash is added to the soil.
Planting forsythia european
Plants are planted both in spring and autumn. In the second case, it is usually September-early October.
Recommended planting scheme for European forsythia: 70 cm x 150 cm. Planting is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- In the prepared area, planting holes are dug 60 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter.
- A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the pit. To do this, you can use different materials: broken bricks, gravel, crushed stone, broken clay shards. The drainage layer should be at least 15 cm, preferably 20 cm.
- A small amount of fine-grained sand is poured over the drainage layer. 5-10 cm in thickness is enough.
- On top it is necessary to form a low hill from a soil mixture based on leaf soil, peat and sand, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. If desired, it can be diluted with wood ash - 150-200 g of the substance is enough. Such an additive will not only serve as a good preventive measure against some diseases of the root system, but will also act as a kind of first feeding for the bush.
- After this, you can lower the seedling into the hole. Taking into account the drainage layer, soil mixture and sand layer, the roots of the plant should be located at a depth of 30-40 cm.
- The root system is evenly distributed over the earthen hill and sprinkled with soil.
- The tree trunk soil is lightly compacted and watered.
Watering and fertilizing
Water European forsythia sparingly. In conditions of frequent rains, watering is not necessary at all. In dry summers, the bushes are watered once every 3-4 weeks. Water consumption per plant is 10-12 liters. After watering, it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil near the plant - this improves the air permeability of the soil. After loosening, the tree trunk circle is covered with a thin layer of mulch. Compost is usually used for these purposes.
European forsythia is fertilized 3 times per season:
- The bush is first fed in the spring, in March. To do this, rotted manure is used, which after application should not touch the plant trunk. After fertilizing, the plantings must be watered.
- In April, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil in a proportion of 60-70 g per 1 m2.
- After flowering, the drug “Kemira Universal” is used as a top dressing. Dosage: about 100 g per 1 m2.
Plant pruning
Young seedlings of European forsythia are subjected only to sanitary pruning, the essence of which boils down to the removal of damaged and dry shoots. This is done in order to give the bush a well-groomed appearance, but such pruning does not affect the shape in any way.
Mature forsythia is pruned in the spring only if the ends of the branches of the bush are frozen in winter. More significant pruning is done in the summer, after flowering. In this case, faded shoots are removed, which are cut out by half of the total length. Old branches are pruned at a height of 40-50 cm from the surface of the ground. This pruning stimulates the active formation of lateral shoots.
Rejuvenating pruning of forsythia involves shortening all its branches by 2/3.
Preparing for winter
The frost resistance of European forsythia is quite high, however, in the Northern regions, young plants can freeze out without shelter. The advantage of this species is its rapid recovery from moderate frostbite.
As a shelter for the winter, use only material that allows air to pass through well. Otherwise, forsythia may wither during a thaw.
Before covering the bush, the area near the trunk is mulched with a thin layer of humus. The branches of the bush are carefully bent to the ground and sprinkled with spruce branches.
Reproduction
European forsythia is propagated vegetatively: by cuttings or layering.
Propagation by green cuttings is carried out according to the following scheme:
- In June, part of the shoots of 15-18 cm is cut from the bush.
- The bottom of the cuttings is cleaned - to do this, remove the leaves in this part.
- After this, the cut is treated with a growth stimulator. You can use the drug "Epin" for these purposes.
- Then the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse, in perlite or sand.
Propagation by lignified cuttings occurs a little differently:
- The shoots are pruned in October.
- Planting material is planted directly into open ground at the same time.
- For better wintering, plantings are sprinkled with dry leaves.
No less popular is the method of propagation by layering. The procedure is very simple:
- In summer or early autumn, a young shoot is selected at the bottom of the bush.
- At the base, the selected branch is tied with thin wire.
- The end of the shoot is slightly cut and buried.
- By spring it forms its own root system.Then the resulting layering can be planted.
You can learn more about propagating European forsythia by cuttings from the video below:
Diseases and pests
European forsythia practically does not suffer from fungus and rarely attracts insects. The only pest that can be distinguished is the nematode, which can damage the root system of the shrub. In order to get rid of this pest, the soil under the plant must be sprayed with Carbation.
Despite the good resistance of the species to diseases, sometimes plantings can be affected by moniliosis or bacteriosis. In the first case, forsythia begins to quickly fade, and gray sporulation pads appear on the leaves and shoots. At the first signs of the disease, the plant is treated with a weak solution of Fundazol.
Forsythia affected by bacteriosis cannot be saved. If the plantings are affected by this disease, the diseased bushes are dug up as quickly as possible and burned away from the garden plot. Signs of bacteriosis: the appearance of dark spots, wilting.
Conclusion
European forsythia is a very popular early-flowering ornamental shrub in Russia, which is highly valued for its resistance to many diseases and low maintenance requirements. This species looks especially impressive as part of flower arrangements together with evergreen crops: thuja, spruce, juniper, but single plantings of forsythia on the lawn or planting plants on a green hedge are no less popular.
