Do you have forsythia? Forcing branches into bloom inside can give you an early taste of spring while you are still in the midst of winter. Here are my photos showing you how to force forsythia in five steps. You can also force redbud, dogwood, magnolia, crabapple, pussy willow, and many other flowering branches.
Don’t worry. Cutting off a few branches to enjoy inside won’t hurt them a bit. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs set their flower buds the previous fall. Once the buds have been exposed to cold for several months (usually by mid-January), a branch can be cut and forced to bloom indoors.
Simply consider the shrub as if you were pruning. Look for crossing branches, suckers, or crowded spots—areas that won’t be missed. When selecting branches, choose healthy branches that are free from disease, insect and other injury. Cut the branch just above a side bud, being careful not to leave a stub.
When should you force flowers? We’re usually in the mood in February or March, once the shrub have gone through the winter and had their chilling requirements—and we are eager for spring’s arrival! Buds take from one to five weeks to open, depending on the plant you choose. The closer to the natural blooming time you cut the branches, the shorter the wait.
Since my forsythia bushes were not even close to blossoming, I cut a few branches to force inside so I could have a touch of the real thing.
Forsythia are one of the easiest of the spring flowering shrubs to trick into blooming indoors but this method works on others as well. Any tree or shrub that blossoms before their leaves emerge can be forced to flower inside; they just may take a little longer. Given plenty of moisture and the warmth of your house, they think spring has arrived and will burst into bloom. Just cut a few branches at least a foot long that have plenty of fat flower buds on them.
Soak the branches overnight in tepid water in the bathtub keeping the whole branch submerged.
After soaking, place them in a bucket of warm water, cover the tops loosely with a large, clear plastic bag, and put them in a cool spot, around 60 degrees.
At this stage they don’t need light and can be kept in any cool room or basement while the buds develop. Check them often, change the water, and mist the buds occasionally. They must not dry out or the buds will shrivel up instead of blooming.
It shouldn’t take much more than a week or two for the forsythia buds to start to elongate and show color. Now you can move them to a warmer spot, mist the buds, and arrange them in a vase.
When the flowers open bring them into a room with bright light and enjoy! Most forced branches last from 5 to 7 days. Keep the flowers out of direct sun and away from heat sources to prolong the bloom time. Once you have mastered forsythia try your hand at forcing quince, apple, flowering crabapple, cherry, plum, star magnolia, pear, dogwood, spirea, and peach blossoms. Whatever it takes to keep us sane until spring makes its long awaited arrival!
Read more about forcing branches of spring-blooming shrubs and trees.
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Forcing Forsythia
I have forced Forsythias in NH just about every year for decades. I cut the branches in mid February, put them in a vase with water and watch them bloom. I do not soak them overnight; do not cover them with plastic nor do I put them in a cool place to let the buds swell. If the humidity in your house is so low that you need to go through that process to get a few Forsythia branches to bloom, you really need to invest in a good humidifier, if only for the health aspects.
Forcing Forsythia
I agree with 'Georgis' . While the info may help 1st timers understand forcing blooms indoors, it may cause hesitation. In over 60 yrs. I've forced thousands of blooms and never once, for any type, have I submerged stems in water overnight.
Simple is best. Cut branches, put in tepid water in a vase or vessel of some sort. They'll bud & bloom within a week usually. The bonus is forsythia stems ( after blooming ) will root in water easily. So more forsythia to plant in the ground in Spring.
Do whatever works for you!
Do whatever works for you! Many houses, especially those like mine that are heated with wood, are excessively dry in winter and the buds tend to dry out and shrivel up rather than plumping up and opening. Hence the overnight soak and plastic treatment.
Why work this hard?
What is the purpose of overnight, full-branch soaking? Why cover them with a plastic bag? When I was growing up, we would cut forsythia, pussy willow, and redbud branches, stick them in a vase, and that's all it took.
I'll be trying my weeping cherry this year; it badly needs pruning, and I figure I may as well get a little indoor cheer out of it if possible. I intend to stick the branches in a vase and call it good. If they don't bloom - and if there's a sensible answer to my questions - maybe I'll work harder at it in the future.
Pruning Tomato Plants
Hi Robin, I have very healthy tomato plants. Could you please show how to clean out/prune the sucker to allow for bigger tomatoes? Thank you!
we cut branchee, even shorter
We cut branches, even shorter ones, from my forsythia starting in late January, place them in a case of water and change the water at least very other day, and we have yellow blossoms for February and March. We continue to do clippings about every week so that we have bunches to give out and use as table decoration. It's not difficult and it's "free."