Q: I’ve heard you can force flowering shrub branches now. How do I do that? —R. S. Northampton
A: Yes! Visions of spring’s colorful flowering shrubs can become reality now by bringing selectively cut branches indoors to bloom. An easy, attractive alternative to cut flower bouquets in early spring, this practice is called “forcing” branches. I forced some Forsythia just last week and found it so refreshing to watch its flower petals gradually unfurl and brighten the kitchen table with a splash of sunny yellow.
How do you force branches into bloom? First, you need appropriate branches. Do you have spring-blooming shrubs or trees on your property? Does your neighbor? Perhaps your grocery store or local nursery/farm has branches for sale? You can use a variety of shrubs or trees, such as forsythia, pussy willow, redbud, magnolia and cherry.
Different plant varieties take different lengths of time to bloom indoors, so research the species’ forced blooming time to ensure correct expectations. Forsythia can bloom in about a week to 10 days while cherry can take 4 weeks to flower. Ornate curly willow stems are also lovely when their young green leaves are just opening.
Once you have found your intended shrub or tree, wait for an above-freezing, dry day to harvest the branches. Look for branches that are crowded together, non-essential to the shrub or tree’s form, and/or are towards the back of the plant. This way there is a low risk of dramatically altering the plant’s appearance should you get overly enthusiastic with your pruning.
Also, look for young branches, about the diameter of a pencil, that have lots of flower buds on them, as opposed to leaf buds, to help ensure abundant blooms. Flower buds are larger and rounder than leaf buds as they hold more inside. You can cut open a couple of buds to peek inside and check. If you are cutting fruit tree branches, looks for lots of spurs off the main branch as those spurs hold the flowering buds.
Next, use sharp, clean pruners to make an angled cut on your branch to minimize plant injury. Cut close to a bud or side shoot where one branch meets another so your cut blends in well. Think about the vase you will use to hold the branches. What size and quantity of stems can it handle? Woody branches are heavier and denser than cut flowers. Stems between 18 and 30 inches offer a good balance between drama and stability in your vase. You can always shorten the length once indoors.
Finally, bring your cut branches inside, crush the ends with a small hammer to aid water uptake, put them in a vase with warm water, add some floral preservative if you like,and set the vase on a table or in another sunny spot. Avoid placing them on a heater. Change the water every few days when it starts getting cloudy. Then eagerly wait and watch as nature takes over and blooms gradually appear for your enjoyment. Your patience will be rewarded.
Enjoy this fun spring ritual, R.S., and thanks for asking a (local) Master Gardener!
Have a gardening dilemma? Please send questions, along with your name/initials and community, to the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association at AskAMasterGardener@wmmga.org. One question will be selected and answered per week. wmmga.org