The propagation of forsythiais relatively easy, and the self-made new plants are more enjoyable than those bought in the store. If you have at least one forsythia bush in your garden, prepare its twigs and cuttings. Seehow to make forsythia cuttings , when to harvest them, and how to plant them to root well. Here are the3 proven ways to breed Forsythiathat will make you grow your collection of beautiful flowering shrubs soon!
Propagation of forsythia. How to make seedlings from forsythia growing in the garden?
Propagation of forsythia by semi-woody cuttings
Semi-woody cuttings are taken from forsythia bushes in late summer(late August / early September). Shoots should have a brownish bark, but still be pliable. A suitable length of seedlings is 15-20 cm. We cut off the soft top and leave two pairs of leaves on the top of the twig. The leaves are shortened by 1/3 of their length to reduce water evaporation.
Prepared in this way forsythia seedlingsplant in pots filled with soil mixed with peat. Try to plant the collected seedlings on the same day. If we cannot plant the obtained seedlings on the same day, store them in the refrigerator in a glass of water (for a maximum of 48 hours). Before placing in the substrate, the lower end of the cuttings can be dipped in a rooting agent to accelerate root development.
The pot with forsythia seedlingswe wrap with transparent foil, creating a tent.Place the pots protected in this way in a bright place, but not in full sun, because the cuttings, until they take root, cannot be exposed to direct sunlight. In the summer of the following year, we can plant the rooted cuttings of forsythia in the garden.
Propagation of forsythia by woody cuttings
Anotherway to reproduce forsythia are woody cuttings . Pick woody cuttings in the fall, when the leaves have fallen from the bushes, or in early spring, before the flowers and leaves develop.
Lignified cuttings of forsythia are taken from 1-year, lignified stems with a thickness of a pencilThe branches should be cut at the base, the cut should be made at an angle of 45 °. Then cut the top of the seedling at an acute angle, about 1.5 cm above the bud. The seedlings should be 15 to 25 cm long. We can get several cuttings from one branch. However, the ones coming from the base of the shoot are the easiest to take root, because this part contains the greatest amount of nutrients.
In a quiet place, sheltered from the wind and direct sun in the garden, dig a groove approx. 20-30 cm. At the bottom of the groove, place a 5 cm layer of fine sand. The collectedforsythia cuttings are placed in the groove and covered with soil to 2/3 of their height. Before winter, the seedlings should be protected against frost.
Rooting seedlings of forsythiafertilize once a month with a multi-component fertilizer from March to July. In summer, the seedlings are watered and cleaned of weeds. Regardless of whether we plant cuttings in fall or spring, the process of rooting woody forsythia cuttings will be similar. The cuttings take root one year after planting. To shorten this time a bit, we can dip the tips of the cuttings in the rooting before planting in the ground.
Propagation of forsythia by horizontal deposits
Forsythia creates deposits naturally, sothis way of reproducing forsythia is the easiest , but definitely less efficient than propagating from cuttings.However, if we do not need a large number of young bushes, we can successfully use this method of reproducing forsythia.
Propagation of forsythia by layeringinvolves rooting the shoots without separating them from the mother plant. We do it in spring, when the ground is already thawed. We select external flexible shoots and remove all leaves from their lower part. Then, next to the bush, dig a hole to a depth of about 10 cm. Bend the shoot gently to the ground, placing it in the hole. The part of the shoot located in the hole should be gently cut along the length, which will facilitate the development of the roots. Then cover the forsythia shoot with soil and water it. Attach the protruding part of the shoot to the ground with hooks or put a stone on it, otherwise it will bend back upwards.
The soil where the twig is buried must be kept moist all the time. Watering is essential in hot and dry summers.Forsythia deposits take root for about a year After a year, we dig out the twig. If roots have developed on it, then we can cut it off from the mother plant, gently dig it out of the ground and plant it in the target place.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
