Pruning Forsythia In Spring. Hedging shears should never be necessary on forsythia. Pruning forsythia is essential to control this growth.
A small pruning saw is useful for slightly larger branches. The usual advice is to prune after the shrub blooms in early spring. Wait for your yellow flowers to fade and for the leaves to grow.
Prune forsythia plants right after they finish blooming in the spring.
Although shearing is faster than hand pruning selective hand pruning with the other tools mentioned is much better for the plant and more attractive. When forsythia pops into bloom we know everybody knows in their bones that the. Forsythia bloom on stems that formed flower buds the previous year called old wood so if you prune before it s flowered then you won t have any flowers that year. At this point the plant starts to develop next year s buds and the plant carries the buds through the fall and winter season.