Time is running out to give forsythia a light pruning

Q: The home we’ve moved into has three established forsythia bushes planted in the backyard. They weren’t pruned this year after their bloom like you suggest, I remember the rhyme, but want to know if there is still time this season to prune them back so they really show off next spring. What do you think? — L.Y., Albuquerque

A: It’s pretty late in the year for this type of maintenance pruning. Usually it’s recommended having it completed by mid-July at the latest, and we’re nearly a month past that date.

What I’ll suggest is giving the forsythia a light pruning. No more than 6-to-8-inches off these guys. Then get down and really give the shrubs a look internally, so to speak. If you see dead limbs or thickish branches, by all means go ahead and cleanly cut them out.

You could offer a light fertilization too. Make sure that there is little to no nitrogen in the mix. You don’t want to push a lot of tender growth now as we head into dormancy. Perhaps a dose of root stimulator would make the shrubs feel loved. Also, make sure the water you offer is deep, but not frequent water.

Next year after the forsythia blooms for you, and it might be a bit on the slight side, be sure to prune at the appropriate time to get them back in the swing of things for the following year. Just be gentle with them this year and aim to get them back to performance level next year after the bloom.

Dear readers: Last week, I wrote with advice about common purslane popping up in an uncultivated part of a yard. I have read that the common purslane is edible. E.L. wrote to me about the edibility of the common purslane, so allow me, his words not mine: “Tracey, what you call purslane, La Gente ... call verdolaga. We have been eating it for centuries. Prepare it just like quelites. Be sure to rinse the sand off first. ... Quelites are lamb’s quarters (a weed best harvested and eaten when young and tender) and they grow wild. Maybe they (the lamb’s quarters) are cultivated somewhere. I don’t know anything about that. Enjoy.”

Thanks for the info, E.L., and perhaps I’ll take a chance on some verdolaga someday. I have also learned that the French have been enjoying purslane for a long time too.

If you decide to harvest purslane for consumption, you should know if it’s ever been treated with any sort of herbicide. Know the provenance before you add it to the menu.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.