I don't always get the timing right when taking branch cuttings in late winter to force blossoms. Some years, I cut just a little too soon. The branches don't blossom, but instead, they just sit there growing bacteria colonies in the water. If I am keeping an eye on the cuttings, I'll notice within a few days if buds begin to develop into blossoms. If I have at least a couple of blossoms within 5 to 7 days, I know these branches will do fine. Otherwise, I dump the batch of cuttings and start again in a day or two.
On Friday, I cut about a dozen branches from the forsythia on the side of our house. This shrub is in need of strategic pruning anyway, so I cut away those branches that were blocking access to a walkway. I culled the best 8 branches, trimming the ends so they would all be about the same length, and brought them indoors to a vase of water.
I've set them on a window seat in the dining room on the north side of the house. On Saturday, I noticed 3 blossoms. Then Sunday, there were several more. I think I got it right with the timing this year. We'll enjoy the forced forsythia blossoms for a week and then it will be about the right time to check the pear trees for branches to cut. I just need to remember to top up the water in this vase every other day.
My grandmother always brought cuttings of blossoming shrubs and trees inside to force. The cuttings were a source of free flowers for her living room. I try to remember all of the ways that she brought loveliness into her home while living on a small budget.
