Lynwood Gold Forsythia for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on September 1, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your forsythia where it will get partial or full sun — at least four hours of direct light a day — in soil that drains well and is rich in organic material. Unpot your shrub, and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the plant and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the shrub in the hole, spreading out the roots. Holding the shrub upright and steady, fill in around it with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic compost, such as bark chips, around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth, but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid rot.

Watering and nutrients

Water your newly planted forsythia a few times a week until you see robust new growth on the branches. Then cut back to once a week for the rest of its first season. Once established, your shrub will only need supplemental watering during very hot or dry weather — it appreciates about an inch of water a week, either from rain or supplemental watering. Fertilize your forsythia in spring with a balanced, slow-release product designed for landscape trees and shrubs. To encourage blooming, you can sprinkle the soil with a phosphorus amendment if you wish.

Pollination

SInce forsythias bloom before most other flowers, they are attractive to bees and other early-season insects looking for pollen, and they act to pollinate the flowers. This results in small brown capsules that contain the seeds. The Linwood Gold forsythia is a hybrid, however, so it will not grow true to seed.

Pruning

Left unpruned, your forsythia will assume a somewhat wild, unkempt look, which may work if, for example, you’re naturalizing a section of open meadow. Most gardeners prune their forsythia shrubs back after they bloom. Prune out any dead, diseased, or damaged branches first. Next, prune back the oldest wood to about 4 inches from the ground. Then trim back one-quarter to one-third off the younger branches, which will encourage new growth the following year.

Pests and diseases

The Lynwood Gold forsythia is an easy-care shrub that is resistant to most insect pests and diseases. You may see minor evidence of common pests, such as aphids and spider mites, but your shrub should be unharmed by mild infestations. If insect pressure increases, consider releasing beneficial insects, such as ladybugs or lacewings, which feed on these pests. Diseases of the forsythia include leaf spot and crown gall. Prune out any galls you see — watch for small swellings on the branches. Keep the ground around your shrub free of leaf litter and debris, and avoid wetting the leaves when you water to avoid fungal growth.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing how to best use a Lynwood Gold forsythia in your garden will help you achieve maximum results. There are numerous ways this flexible shrub can be shown off in any landscape. Since it withstands city pollution well, it can make an excellent anchor plant in a smaller urban garden. When planted in a row, it’s a great formal or informal hedge, depending on how vigorously you prune it. Mass plantings are spectacular in the spring. It’s good for erosion control on a hill or sloping area. It is also a great addition to cottage gardens, where it provides height and texture against which you can show off smaller flowering perennials.