Forsythia problem

[billh]

I am in Rhode Island and last spring I bought two forsythia bushes and planted them about four feet apart. One of them flourished but the other one died so I pulled it out about five weeks ago and planted a new one from a big box store. It was in a plastic pot and I removed the pot but did not break up the dirt around the roots very much. I planted it in the same hole as the previous one. I am noticing now that the bush from last year is doing fine but the new one had some yellow buds over the past ten days to two weeks but they seem to be disappearing daily. I did water it when I planted it and we have received rain in our area since....What did I do wrong and is the bush salvageable at this point?

 

[oneeye]

The most important thing with Forsythia is to make sure they get at least 6 hours or more of direct sunlight. Also make sure not to plant your Forsythia too deep in the ground because that will cause problems too. You want to plant your plant a little high compared to the soil line in the container. If none of these apply, post a photo so we can have a look.

 

[billh]

thanks for the reply but I am a little confused--should I dig it up and replant so that the soil line that was in the container is at ground level? now it is probably 2-3 inches below ground level. I have attached one photo of the thriving bush and two of the problem bush..

 

[oneeye]

Planting it too deep is what caused the problem. Its very common for the nursery to plant plants too deep in the containers for better plant management. When we buy plants that are planted too deep and plant them too deep the result is often one plant falls behind. The only way to fix the problem is to dig it up and replant it, if its not too late. You may have caught if in time, also keep the top two inches of soil loose on top and keep it aerated to allow oxygen to the roots. good luck.

 

[billh]

thanks for the reply---one stupid question concerning the root ball in the container--do I just bring that closer to surface level or should I try to break it up. I found it difficult to do when I took it out of the container so I just put in the ground that way......again, thanks for all your help

 

[oneeye]

Its ok to leave the root ball intack when you plant, however its a good to ruffle up the bottom and edges of the root ball so the roots won't bathtub in the hole. I never remove the soil when I plant a shrub or a tree, I just plant the soil and with roots.