I AM HALFWAY THROUGH a long season of lilac blooms that started before the first of May this year and looks to have another 10 days to go, weather depending. Meet the gang (wish I had scratch-and-sniff technology here for you).
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Agincourt Beauty’
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Little Boy Blue’
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’
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- Syringa hyacinthiflora ‘Blanche Sweet’
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Marie Frances’
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Wedgwood Blue’
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- Syringa vulgaris ‘Avalanche’
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- Syringa vulgaris
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- Syringa hyacinthiflora ‘Mount Baker’
A “Miss Kim” thrived in a hot corner, outgrowing its space. Against advice, we dug it out and popped it into a shadier hole elsewhere with same exposure. That was two+ years ago, and no blossoms have been seen at all. Is there hope for our Kim?
@Peterpepper: Shade isn’t a favorite of most flowering trees and shrubs. I’d expect it might sulk the year after transplant and not worry, but if it’s more than two years already, sounds like the wrong spot (unless you pruned off the flower bus with a late or very early pruning, or fed it lots of Nitrogen?). Sounds like it wants more light.
I have pruned back overgrown Miss Kim lilacs rather severely after flowering, and they came back nicely and resumed flowering. Keep in full to partial sun…lilacs need sun exposure to flower well.
Hi Margaret I have enjoyed your website for a few yrs and have been on today. I know this is not the time to prune Lilacs but.. we have lived on our 40A farm for about 35yrs and I planted a Lilac bush when we first moved in. I have never pruned it and now it is huge. If we cut it way back after it blooms this spring do you think we will kill it?? I also have a tree that sprouted growing out of the middle of it. It also needs to go I think I am in need of some help ! Thanks for any you can give me.
@Anita: My basic ideas on how to prune lilacs are summed up if you scroll down this pruning FAQ page, and then you can click off to the other green links in it.
You won’t kill it by rejuvenating it, but the usual wisdom is to do that over three years — cutting out one-third of the oldest (thickest) stems each year to gradually allow new (thinner, shorter) wood to repopulate the area. One other issue is whether it’s growing “on its own roots” or grafted onto a sturdier lilac rootstock. Cutting the whole thing to the ground all at once can also sometimes allow the rootstock to overcome the desired parts of the plant.
As for that tree…oh, dear. Needs to go at once (well, not if it’s snowing, but you know what I mean). It may keep resprouting, too, so see if you can dig it out as well, or be prepared to cut it down to the base again and again till you kill it.
margaret!
what a joy that you posted this! i have decided to plant some lilacs this year and am just setting off to learn about them. so thank you!
Just ordered four lilacs. The selection here in Italy wasn’t vast, but I got a Michel Buchner, Charles Joly, Mme. Lemoine and a Sensation. Can’t wait to get them in and have them bloom! I love lilac bouquets come spring!