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Forsythia Linwood Gold is a tall, large-flowered shrub with drooping branches, an intermediate hybrid of Forsythia and Forsythia Dark green. A distinctive feature of this variety is disease resistance and unattractiveness to pests.
Description of Forsythia Linwood
The height of an adult plant reaches 2.5-3 m, the diameter is 3 m. The crown of the forsythia of the Linwood Gold variety is spreading and dense, as can be seen in the photo below.
The color of the variety is bright yellow, however, with the onset of autumn, the leaf plate darkens and acquires a rich purple hue. The shape of the leaves is slightly elongated, slightly serrated.
The flowers of the variety are large - they grow in width from 3 to 3.5 cm. Abundant flowering. It falls at the end of May.
Planting and caring for Forsythia Linwood
Planting Linwood Gold forsythia, as well as the subsequent care of the shrub, includes the most basic procedures that even a novice gardener can do. Plants are planted both in spring and autumn. The most important thing when landing before winter is to be in time before the ground freezes. If you are late with planting, the seedlings will not be able to take root and, most likely, will die.
Preparation of the planting site and seedling
The quality and composition of the soil for growing Linwood Gold forsythia do not really matter. The main requirements for the soil for the optimal development of the shrub:
- moderate humidity;
- low or medium acidity;
- good breathability.
The groundwater level is not important, however, the variety does not like stagnant water.
Planting forsythia Linwood
For the landing of Linwood Gold forsythia, they choose sunny places with good protection from strong winds. The variety develops well in partial shade, however, the lack of light affects the abundance of flowering.
Landing rules:
- the depth of the planting pit must be at least 50 cm;
- the recommended pit width is 50-60 cm;
- for group plantings, it is important to maintain an interval between adjacent bushes of 1-1.5 m.
Planting procedure:
- A drainage layer of clay shards or broken brick is placed in the planting pit. The layer thickness is 15-20 cm.
- A layer of sand up to 10 cm thick is poured over the drainage.
- Then the pit is covered with a mixture of peat, sand and leafy earth. Mixing proportions: 1: 1: 2.
- Taking into account drainage, sand and soil mixture, the depth of the planting pit is reduced to 30-35 cm. The seedling is lowered into the hole and sprinkled with earth.
- The trunk circle is slightly pressed down for greater soil density under the bush.
- Planting ends with abundant watering forsythia.
Watering and feeding
Forsythia Linwood Gold does not need abundant watering. The bushes are watered once every 2-3 weeks. Water consumption per plant is 1-1.5 buckets.
If the weather is rainy, watering is stopped altogether, since with an excess of moisture, forsythia roots may rot. If the summer is hot, the volume of water for each bush can be slightly increased, but it is not recommended to fill the plantings.
The procedure is combined with loosening the near-stem section and weeding. For better moisture retention, you can sprinkle the soil with mulch.
Forsythia is fed 3 times a year:
- In early spring, the soil is fertilized with compost, which also serves as a mulch layer.
- In mid-April, mineral fertilizing is applied.
- With the end of flowering, the soil is fertilized with the drug "Kemir Universal".
Pruning
Young plantings are pruned for sanitary purposes - only damaged shoots are removed from plants, without touching healthy ones. Forsythia of the Linwood Gold variety aged 4 years and older, once every 3-4 years after such a procedure, they are pruned again, already in the summer. All shoots after flowering are cut in half. Old branches are completely cut off almost to the very base - they are usually left 5-8 cm above the soil level. This is done to rejuvenate the bush, as the result of such intensive pruning is active shoots.
If the forsythia grows too much to the sides and takes on an unkempt appearance, it is necessary to carry out the formation of the crown. For this, all outstanding shoots are shortened.
Preparing for winter
Forsythia Linwood Gold is a fairly frost-resistant crop, however, young seedlings are somewhat weaker. They are not able to hibernate without insulation, especially in regions with cold winters.
Preparation for wintering involves covering the shrub with a thick layer of dry leaves. Before this, the shoots of the plant must be bent to the ground and fixed. Spruce branches are placed on top of the leaves.
With the onset of heat, the shelter is removed, since forsythia can resist.
Diseases and pests
The resistance of Linwood Gold forsythia to diseases is average. The plant rarely gets sick, however, it is impossible to completely reduce the risk of planting disease. The greatest threat to the development of shrubs is posed by:
- fusarium wilting;
- bacteriosis;
- moniliosis;
- downy mildew.
The first signs of fusarium wilting are rapid yellowing of the leaves, blackening of the shoots and weak flowering. Sometimes forsythia stops blooming altogether. At the initial stages of the development of the fungus, forsythia is treated with a weak solution of Fundazol. If the disease is started, the plant may die. Then it is dug up by the roots and burned, and the hole is doused with boiling water with potassium permanganate.
Bacteriosis is determined by the softening of the leaf plate and the appearance of black streaks. There are still no methods for treating plants affected by bacteriosis. At the first signs of this disease, the bush is dug up entirely and destroyed away from the garden area. The place where forsythia grew must be treated with fungicides or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Moniliosis appears as small brownish spots on the leaves. When forsythia is infected with moniliosis, it is necessary to cut off all darkened areas.
Powdery mildew deforms the leaves. Also, the leaf plate is covered with gray spots on top. The affected areas are cut off, after which the forsythia is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Of the pests of the variety, only the nematode is isolated. This pest affects plantings in dry hot summers with insufficient watering. It multiplies quickly in dry soil and gnaws at the roots of forsythia.
In the fight against this worm, chemicals are used. Insecticides "Phosphamid" and "Nemaphos" have proven themselves well.
If forsythia Linwood Gold stops blooming, this may be due to the following reasons:
- too frequent intensive pruning of the bush for the purpose of rejuvenation;
- critical soil poverty;
- freezing of flower buds in cold winters with little snow;
- damage to the root system by a nematode.
Reproduction
It is preferable to propagate forsythia by vegetative methods, namely: cuttings and shoots abduction. The resulting planting material has 100% survival rate.
Cutting is done according to the following algorithm:
- In the first decade of June, a young branch is cut off from forsythia and divided into segments 15 cm long.
- The lower 2 leaves on the resulting cuttings are removed, after which the lower ends of the segments are lowered for several hours into a growth stimulator.
- The planting material is then transferred to the greenhouse, where it is grown in containers. From time to time, the substrate needs to be moistened.
- As soon as the cuttings form a branched root system, they are transplanted into open ground.
The time for harvesting woody cuttings is shifted to autumn. Immediately after cutting, they are buried in the garden area, bypassing the greenhouse stage. Before winter, such plantings must be insulated with dry grass, leaves and spruce branches.
Additionally, the propagation process with green cuttings is described in the video below:
Forsythia propagation by layering occurs according to the following scheme:
- In August or early September, a young branch from the bottom of the shrub is bent to the ground.
- The end of the shoot is slightly incised.
- The resulting incision is carefully added to the drop and the edge of the branch is fixed in the soil so that it does not unbend. To do this, use metal staples or a small piece of brick.
- By spring, the cuttings will form a full-fledged root system. The shoot is finally separated from the parent bush, dug out with the preservation of an earthen coma and transplanted into a previously prepared hole.
Conclusion
Forsythia Linwood Gold is one of the first to bloom varieties. Flowering begins in March, before the leaves bloom. That is why the variety is planted in combination with horticultural crops that bloom later - this way you can increase the decorativeness of the plantings, stretching the total flowering of the group until autumn.
