AusBonsai

Hey folks!

I recently picked up a small forsythia plant that needs some fattening up. I know that if they are potted, their roots need trimming every year and that their suckers need cutting back. Does anyone have an experience with forsythia?
I could always plant it in the ground and wait 2-3 years. Will post a photo of it later tonight, it has three even trunks coming from the base... to chop or not?

Cheers,
Jack

I have a little limited experience with this species. I find the growth taperless and usually quite straight which is not good for bonsai but if you do some pruning you can induce a bit of movement and taper into the trunks. I've just let mine grow in the pots for a couple of years then cut back all the suckers and straight bits and I've now got a couple of reasonable small trunks. These will only ever look good when flowering with no leaves so I have not really worried about ramification, just an interesting small trunk to hang flowers on.
Strikes cuttings very easily so when you prune stick the offcuts in to get a couple more and do some experimenting.

In Japan they handle these by ground growing for a few years. Don't worry about multiple trunks or anything like that. They just let the growth rocket away for the whole season the cut back every thing to the first set of buds and keep repeating that until you have something to work with. They then end up with a thick well tapered multi trunk thing with loads of possibilities. They won't thicken in a pot. Mine is over 25 years old and only as thick as your thumb.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'll probably put it in my veggie garden soon.
Treeman, has your forsythia been growing for the most part as a single trunk specimen? I would have thought after 25 years it would be thicker.