Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) usually blooms from March to May. However, sometimes the bushes sprout again and open their golden yellow flowers surprisingly late in the year.
Why do forsythia suddenly bloom in autumn?
This natural phenomenon is aemergency reactionIn order to save water, the shrub switches into a mode in the summer heat anddrought"Standby mode". If it gets cooler andmoist inAutumn,the already laid outbuds will open.
What other causes can trigger an autumn bloom?
Sometimeshail,which greatly reduces the leaf area of the forsythia, is the reason for this natural phenomenon. Apruning in spring combined with initially dry and then wet weather can also cause the golden bell to bloom in autumn.
If you let the bushes dry out during longer dry periods in the summer and later water them abundantly, the inhibition of shoots will be suppressed in some cases and the forsythia will open its flowers in the late summer.
What are the consequences of the autumn flowering of the forsythia?
If the forsythia only blooms inone yearin autumn, this usually hasno negative consequences for the tree. However, you have to expect fewer flowers in spring.
Since the autumn blossoms cost the bush a lot of energy, Goldilocks starts the next season weakened. If this happens several times, it can weaken the forsythia so much that it only grows poorly or even dies.
Unfortunately, the forsythia's internal clock is likely to become increasingly out of sync due to climate change.
Can I prevent the forsythia from blooming in the fall?
If the autumn bloom is triggered by theweather, there is little you can doabout it. However, the consequences of a dry summer can be mitigated, by watering the forsythia regularly and thoroughly when there is no rain.
Tip
Do not cut forsythia in autumn
Forsythia blooms on the shoots formed the previous year. If you cut the pretty flowering shrub back in the fall, as is common with many other trees, it would only produce a few buds. Therefore, always cut the bushes in spring as soon as the flowers are brown.
