Need Help Pruning Forsythia Bushes

Question

Hi, last year I pruned 16 forsythia bushes pretty aggressively. 10 of them came back beautifully. 6 look terrible. The beautiful ones sent out lots of new stems and are really airy. The terrible ones pretty much just added small leaves, packing them densely close to the ground. The contrast is dramatic. Attached is one photo of the good one and two photos of the bad ones. What do I do next?

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Answer 1

Only very mature Forsythia can handle hard pruning. During the first few years, they will only tolerate pruning 1/3 of the shrub at a time. Timing is, also, very important. These should be pruned right as the flowers die in Spring.

After hard pruning, it will take about 2 years for recovery.

This article will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/forsythia/forsythia-pruning.htm

Answer 2

Thank you!