Question
When IS the best time to transplant a forsythia bush? I live in NC and am afraid it is too hot right now to successfully move my medium size bush (about two yrs. old) Our soil is composed of alot of red clay. What do I need to do to fortify it to feed the bush? How much space do I need to give it? I am moving it to a spot next to a shed which gets a lot of shade, is that a bad idea?

Answer
Hi Nancy,
Thanx for your question.  Forsythia bushes are pretty hardy and grow just about everywhere in the U.S.  When I was a kid in Kansas, they were some of the first things to bloom in the spring.  Because there is a dearth of tree cover when forsythia bloom it isn't as important about partial shade as it would be if forsythia bloomed after the trees had all their leaves in the spring.  Generally, one would want to plant the forsythia in full sun and I wouldn't really want to plant it where it's going to get a lot of shade.  September will be your best bet to transplant.  Cut it down to about a foot or two tall to make it easier to handle and then dig up as much of the root ball as you can.  You're not going to hurt this plant and it should recover nicely.  You can dig a hole larger than the root ball and amend the hole with lots of well-composted cow manure.  After planting the rootball, side dress with well-composted cow manure.  I hope this helps.
Tom