Forsythia ovoid: description of species and varieties, planting and care rules

Forsythia is an ornamental shrub of low stature. Gardeners appreciate it for its abundant early flowering, as a result of which the branches are covered with golden buds. The most winter-hardy species is the ovoid forsythia. The shrub is widespread in warm regions - on the Korean Peninsula, the Balkans. In temperate climates, it is successfully cultivated, enduring even frosty winters.

Description of forsythia

The shrub grows in height from 1 m to 3 m, in width - up to 2 m. Its stems are thin, straight, have a drooping appearance. The bark is gray, rough, finely pointed dark green oval leaves with marginal teeth.The length of leaf plates closely spaced from each other is from 2 to 15 cm. The flowering of the shrub begins in March-May. Buds appear on last year's shoots. After blooming, they have the shape of golden bells with long petals. Ripe winged seeds fly out of the bolls.

Unlike the egg-shaped forsythia, the variegated forsythia has more decorative foliage than flowers. It changes its hue from greenish to golden during the season.

Types and varieties

There are several varieties and types of forsythia that differ in the appearance of flowers and leaves, winter hardiness, timing and duration of flowering, and other characteristics.

European Forsythia

Shrub is most common in Europe, winter-hardy, height - up to 2 meters. Upright branches cover leaves 7 cm long with smooth edges. The yellow flowers, which appear in May, are collected in groups of several pieces and look like bells.

Forsythia drooping

Powerful shrub has a height of up to 3 m. The habitat is the north of China. In Europe, it is able to take root in the southern regions - in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. The foliage is very decorative - its color changes from dark green in spring to purple in autumn. The tubular flowers are in bunches and have a noticeable orange stripe inside, their length is about 3 cm.

The most popular varieties of drooping forsythia are Purplestem, Simbolda, Motley, Fortuna.

Forsythia intermediate

Garden shrub undersized. Its branches are straight at first, later bending towards the ground under the weight of flowers. Leaf plates are oval-lanceolate with serrated edges.

Flowering begins in April and lasts about 3 weeks. Inflorescences consist of several buds that form near leaf buds. The most popular varieties of intermediate forsythia are Lindwood, Remarkable, Dense-flowered, Fiesta.

Forsythia ovoid

Natural habitat of forsythia ovoid - Korea. Today, the species is widely distributed in central Russia, as it is one of the most winter-hardy. Its flowering comes earlier than other plants and lasts 2-2.5 weeks.

The form of an ornamental shrub is sprawling, its diameter reaches 2 m. Leaves appear after flowering. They are long, bright green, with sharp ends, wide in diameter. The most famous varieties of egg-shaped forsythia are Weekend Sapphire, Parkdecor, Goldzauber.

Forsythia dark green

The plant has elastic branches 3 m long, arranged vertically, their bark is green. Along the entire length of the shoots, lanceolate leaves of emerald color are often located. They are distinguished by a smooth and glossy surface.

The flowering of dark green forsythia begins with the appearance of buds collected in small groups. When opened, their color is green-yellow.

The foliage of the shrub is so dense that it is used for hedges. Planting in the Moscow region is not recommended, since the shrub is thermophilic, and there is a high probability of freezing in harsh winters.

Snow Forsythia

Abeliophyllum, or snow forsythia is on the verge of extinction. The species is unique, since the only one has not yellow, but white flowers with a pinkish tint, collected in a brush. The flowering period is characterized by an abundance of fragrant buds.

The height of the ornamental shrub is 2 m. The leaves are dark green, oval, pubescent. Their color changes to purple in summer.

Forsythia Giralda

China is considered the birthplace of the forsythia Giralda. Its appearance resembles a European one. The leaves are oblong ellipses with sharp ends, green above, pale below. Small golden flowers completely cover the shoots of the bush.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of forsythia ovoid include:

• good survival after transplant;
• unpretentious care;
• resistance to major diseases and pests;
• Easy crop tolerance.

Among the disadvantages of shrubs:

• short flowering period;
• the need for shelter for the winter due to the weak frost resistance of the plant;
• It takes a few years for a new plant to bloom.

Features of growing shrubs

Today, ovoid forsythia is grown in parks and squares, gardens of private houses. The reason for its popularity was early flowering, undemanding growing conditions and care.

When and where to plant

Planting of forsythia ovoid is carried out in spring or autumn before the onset of frost, so that the plants have time to take root and not die in winter.

An area protected from the northern winds is suitable for landing. Forsythia easily tolerates shading, but grows better in a sunny area. Ornamental shrub prefers alkaline soil without stagnant water. Wood ash is added to acidic soil during digging.

Preparation of planting material

Seedlings obtained as a result of cuttings are ready for planting only after the formation of the root system.

Purchased planting material forsythia ovifolia should be carefully examined. Plants should be intact, roots strong and developed. The age of the planted plant is not more than 2 years. Before planting, dry shoots are cut off from the seedling, the root system is soaked for several hours in a growth stimulator solution.

Fitting technology

To plant an egg-shaped forsythia, follow the algorithm:

• prepare pits 50 cm x 50 cm x 60 cm;
• keep the distance between adjacent plants 150 cm;
• make a drainage layer 15 cm thick;
• pour 10 cm of sand on the drainage;
• top put a mixture of peat, compost and sand in the ratio 1:2:1;
• plant a seedling in the center of the pit;
• fill voids with soil;
• tamp down;
• water generously.

Plant Care Tips

When caring for shrubs, a number of activities are necessary:

• timely watering;
• sanitary pruning;
• plant nutrition;
• loosening and mulching the soil.

How to fertilize properly

Forsythia ovoid is fed three times a season:

• at the beginning of spring - completely rotted manure;
• in the middle of spring - complex mineral fertilizers (65 g per 1 sq. m);
• at the end of flowering - universal fertilizer (100 g per 1 sq. m).

After applying fertilizer, the plant is watered abundantly.

Irrigation Rules

Water forsythia ovoid is carried out in the same way as other shrubs. With regular rainfall, artificial sprinkling is refrained from. During a drought, water three times a month, using 10 liters of water per plant at a time.

After watering, the soil is loosened, freed from weeds and mulched with peat, compost, dry foliage.

Transfer

To transplant an adult forsythia ovoid plant, you should wait until autumn, carefully dig up a bush and plant it in a prepared hole according to all the rules. With the advent of frost, the plant is securely covered with foliage, spruce branches, non-woven material.

Cutting

Due to timely pruning, forsythia oviform develops proportionally, looks decorative, blooms profusely. The first haircut is carried out no earlier than the third year of the plant's life. In the spring, the ends of the frozen shoots are cut off. In the summer, at the end of flowering, shorten all the branches and cut out the extra ones that thicken the bush.

Every three years, the shrub is cut to the base or 2/3 of the length. The plant is rejuvenated, its growth is activated.

Wintering

Forsythia ovoid refers to winter-hardy species, but when planting or transplanting a young plant in the fall, it is worth protecting it from the upcoming cold weather.To do this, the trunk circle is covered with mulch, the branches are carefully bent down and insulated from above with spruce branches. Later, the plants are covered with snow. In early spring, the shelter is removed, and the mulch is removed from the trunk to prevent the bark from warming up.

Features of care after flowering

As soon as the forsythia has faded, a series of activities are carried out:

• cut branches growing inside the bush;
• remove young shoots coming from the roots;
• fertilizing in the form of Kemira fertilizer.

Diseases and pests

Forsythia ovoid is resistant to diseases and pests, but with excessive watering and improper care, disease damage is possible:

• withering - for treatment, spraying with the Vectra systemic preparation is used;
• bacteriosis - dig up a bush and dispose of it;
• moniliosis - all sore spots are cut out.

Infection of a plant with a nematode leads to rotting of the roots.

Spraying with "Carbation" disinfects the soil and destroys the nematode.

Methods of reproduction

Forsythia ovoid can be propagated in several ways:

• seed;
• using cuttings;
• layering.

Seeds

The method is used if it is necessary to grow a large number of seedlings. To do this, perform a series of actions:

1. Mature seeds are harvested in October.
2. Stratify them for 2 months at a temperature of +5 ⁰С.
3. In March they are sown in boxes under glass.
4. A year later they are planted in open ground for growing.
5. In the third year, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.

Layers

The method is one of the easiest to get a new plant. For this purpose, at any time (spring, summer or autumn), a groove is dug near the mother bush, the most flexible shoot is tilted and covered with earth. Leaves are first removed from it and small cuts are made for better rooting. The shoot is pinned to the damp ground with a dry branch or wire. A year later, the finished seedling is separated from the mother plant and transplanted. Forsythia, obtained from layering, blooms after a year.

Shanks

Propagation with green cuttings involves the use of one-year-old shoots, which are harvested after forsythia blooms. They are cut 20 cm long from lignified branches. Without removing the leaves, the cuttings are planted in moist soil at an angle, deepening no more than 5 cm.From above, the cuttings are covered with a film and maintain the microclimate in the shelter for a month, after which the roots appear. Plants are transferred to a permanent place and grown throughout the year.

Landscape use

The shrub is highly decorative, so ovoid forsythia is used in gardens as individual plantings and in group compositions.

The beautiful, dense foliage makes the plants suitable for hedges, as they tolerate pruning well.

Early spring, the bushes look especially bright against the background of conifers, especially since other shrubs do not bloom during this period.

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