Ground Breaking Banter - Rick
Spring is here – whether or not the weather in your area is cooperating -and that has many of us in the garden, wondering where to start. That’s why we’re devoting this first segment to the tasks you should do first – as well as some that are better saved for a few weeks from now.
Join us at the YouTube link above or on your favorite podcast platform to hear our whole conversation on spring garden tasks.
Forsythia is a funny plant. It flies completely under the radar most of the year, with no one thinking twice about it. But in early spring, at least if you live in a climate where it is hardy, the entire world seems to turn golden between it and daffodils. It’s strange to suddenly realize just how ubiquitous it actually is. It seems like one of the few plants that people will happily buy and plant even though it doesn’t contribute too much beyond its spring bloom, but that is enough to make people love it.
Forsythia is also a good problem solver: it’s deer resistant, shade tolerant (though it won’t bloom nearly as abundantly in shade as it will if it gets at least half a day of sun), and drought tolerant. But old varieties get pretty big – 5-6’ tall and wide. And that’s all well and good if you want to plant a hedge (and forsythia are excellent for that!) but what if you’re short on space? Or you want the spring cheer of a forsythia but in your perennial garden, not as a backdrop to it? For these and many other situations, there’s today’s plant on trial, Show Off Sugar Baby forsythia. At just 1.5-2.5’ tall and wide, it’s the smallest forsythia on the market. That makes it perfect for containers, perennial gardens, or even entirely new applications for forsythia, like as a low hedge at the front of a bed, planted on either side of front steps or a garage, or nestled among a planting of bulbs.
Like the rest of the Show Off series, Show Off Sugar Baby sets flower buds along the entire length of its stem, not just at the tips, and they’re densely packed on the stems so that they look like columns of yellow when they bloom. While its small size makes it very versatile to use in the garden, it also offers another benefit for those in very cold climates: since it is small, it is usually covered in snow which helps conserve the flower buds. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, like most forsythia, but potentially even in USDA zone 4 areas with reliable snow cover, you can grow it because the snow insulates it. It is heat tolerant through USDA zone 8.
Botanically speaking, forsythia is in the Oleaceae, which makes it a close relative to its namesake olive, as well as many other plants that are normally known for fragrance (despite the fact that forsythia is not fragrant): jasmine, lilac, privet, fringetree, and osmanthus. It has prominent lenticels on its stems, which we recently discussed on the show. It blooms on old wood, which is to be expected with its very early bloom time, so if you want to prune it, do so immediately after it blooms.
Pruning at the wrong time is probably the biggest reason that a plant may not flower, but the second most common reason is too much shade. Bear in mind that the plant is going to be setting its flower buds in, say, June and July, so if the plant is very shaded during that period, that’s going to impact the plant’s ability to optimally form flower buds. It’s not just sun at the bloom time that matters.
If you’d like to add Show Off Sugar Baby forsythia or any of the 320+ Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs – to your garden or landscape, you’ll find a list of local retailers here.
Gardening Mail Bag - Stacey
To kick things up, listener Margaret shares:
I’m watching your Lime light hydrangea show again.
I felt the need to show mine. It is planted at the top of a huge raised bed and has two offsprings that I made to make a cave like structure as a secret garden. This was purchased as a quart size (maybe smaller) probably 24+ yrs ago.
We say WOW!
The weeping Alaskan cedar was struggling and lost some lower branches. It is doing better after some fertilization in recent years. Do you think the naked bottom will fill in? Or should I plant something in front of the cedar? Or rip it out and start over? Any and all suggestions are welcome, please - Don
Here’s the photo Don sent of the cedar:
(The plant in question is the evergreen between the two windows at right)
The key to resolving these issues is determining what caused them in the first place, and when I looked at this photo, I can see that the Alaskan cedar there is still staked. I would inspect all of the contact points associated with the staking and make sure they aren’t growing into the tree, as damage like that can definitely cut off the bottom and lead to a decline in health. If this is the case – or even if it isn’t – I’d remove all staking materials as the plant should be well established now.
I would say that it’s unlikely the plant will regrow too much at the base, simply because as the plant gets more mature, it begins to shade out its lower branches naturally, which is why pines, for example, typically develop a canopy instead of staying branched to the ground as they are when they are young. But I don’t think that’s cause for removing this beautiful plant, which I think is perfectly sited to use that space between those windows. One, the plant is already nicely established, two, it’s really the perfect pick for that spot, and three, it can still be gorgeous even if it’s a bit bare at the bottom. If you’d like to plant something to soften that effect a bit, you certainly can.
Do you have a question for us? We’re happy to help! E-mail us or use the contact tab above. Due to high volume, we may not get to your question, so if you need an answer quickly, please reach out via the Proven Winners website.
Branching News - Rick
In our final segment, we’re joined by the inimitable Mike Connor of HoneyTree Consulting. We always learn something when Mike comes to visit, and this time he shares lots of great info on native bees and spring food sources – and garden practices – to help sustain their dwindling populations. Join us at the YouTube link above for our whole conversation!
