Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Border Forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold').

More about forsythia 'lynwood gold'

About Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold'

Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold' · also called Border Forsythia · flowering

Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold' is a vigorous deciduous shrub that erupts in brilliant golden-yellow flowers along bare arching stems in early spring, before the leaves. One of the most reliable and free-flowering forsythias, it makes a dazzling specimen, informal hedge, or screen and is exceptionally easy to grow in cold-temperate gardens.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor or no flowering: Usually caused by shade, pruning at the wrong time, or hard winters killing buds. It blooms on old wood, so prune only immediately after flowering and give it full sun.

The reasons forsythia 'lynwood gold' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming forsythia 'lynwood gold' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding forsythia 'lynwood gold' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get forsythia 'lynwood gold' to flower

Maximise sun. Give forsythia 'lynwood gold' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for forsythia 'lynwood gold' and get the feeding right with the forsythia 'lynwood gold' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full forsythia 'lynwood gold' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my forsythia 'lynwood gold' flower?

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make forsythia 'lynwood gold' bloom?

Give forsythia 'lynwood gold' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does forsythia 'lynwood gold' normally bloom?