Lilacs
Propagation:
Q. We have lilac trees in our back yard and our house is up
for sale. When we move, is it possible to cut branches off these
trees and replant them at our new house? Or should we just dig
one up and bring it with us? I love the lilacs and will miss
them. Would appreciate any answer you can give me.
A. Lilacs, like other hardwood perennials, bushes and trees,
are difficult to propagate successfully from stems. It can be
done though, using the most tender, green, healthy cuttings
you can find. Rather, I recommend that you dig up an entire
bush.
When we moved, my dad wanted to take some of the old lilacs
from the backyard which he had gotten from relatives, so they
were not only beautiful, but sentimental. Dig up a very wide
space around the base, going at least as far out as the branches
reach. Go down deeply, circling the bush, deeper and deeper.
When all soil has been cut to 2 feet deep, carefully dig up
the plant from all sides, getting as much root system as you
can. Lay onto a large piece of plastic and move to the new location
ASAP. Plant into a prepared hole and water in very well, with
a slow, deep dripping.
You may need to stake the bush for a couple months until the
roots take hold. Do not allow to dry, and if sunny, loosely
drape some covering over it to reduce the sun glare and transpiration
of water, which stress the roots. Do not fertilize until it
is well-established.
For Darlene and other lilac lovers!
General Information:
Lilacs were introduced in France in the late 1800s at which
time hybridizing was started by the horticulturists. We now
have fragrant flowers with colors ranging from white and pale
yellow to all shades of pink, mauve and purple. Most reach about
8' high and 6' wide. They can be grown solo or bunched
as a hedge.
They prefer moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil in sun or light
shade. They love cold winters which improve flowering. Prune
right after flowering. Take out all dead, yellow, and weak growth,
thus enabling more light and nutrients to get to the strong
stems. This, too, will encourage much more flowering the next
spring.
Korean Lilacs:
Betsybear writes~
How and when do you trim Korean lilacs for greatest productivity?
A. You have:
Syringia Meyeri 'Palabin'
Dwarf Korean - purple, lovely foliage, no suckers or mildew,
fragrant, tolerates shade. Height 4-5'/width 5-6'.
A compact dwarf lilac with unique small foliage. A profuse bloomer
with lavender flowers. Sun to part shade. Zone 5. Here are some
good rules to follow when pruning lilacs. They are very important.
Many old lilacs are pruned back to just a few old stems by cutting
off all the new suckers. These lilacs will bloom only at the
top and the flowers will get smaller each year. A well-pruned
lilac will produce larger flowers with blooms from the top to
the bottom of the shrub. If you have an old lilac bush that
has gone unpruned for a while it will take several years to
return it back to its best.
The best time for pruning is right after the lilac has flowered
usually in mid to late June. First, remove any dead branches.
Count the number of main branches and select at least 1/3 of
them to remove. This will open up the interior of the shrub
and allow better air flow. Look for branches that cross or rub
against each other and remove one of them.
If you want to make your shrub easier to mow around, cut out
any branches that are bent over or growing downward. Check the
suckers that are growing at the bottom of the bush. Cut
off all but 3 or 5 of them. If you want to keep your lilac bush
shorter and have larger flowers, remove any branch that is more
than 3 years old but not more than 1/3 of bush at a time If
you kept some old suckers from last year, cut out to the same
number of branches allowed to grow this year.
Lilacs should be pruned immediately after they've bloomed
in the spring. Dwarf Korean Lilacs require only a light pruning
to maintain size and shape.
Good Lilac site:
http://www.raw-connections.com/garden/shrubs/lilac.htm
Gwen writes~ We planted three lilacs in our back yard. The
first 1-2 years we got great blooms on two of the bushes. However,
this year we have no blooms on one larger lilac - about 4'
x 3' and only 1 bloom on another lilac about 3' x 2'.
The lilac with no blooms receives sun from noon until sundown.
The other one receives sun from early morning until about 2pm.
These plants are about 2-3 years old and appear healthy otherwise.
Also, I planted a wedgwood blue lilac 2 years ago. It was a
small plant when purchased and is now about 3' tall and
about 20" across. Every spring it gets tiny buds that look
like it will be covered by lilacs, but then most of the ends
of the branches turn brown and die. Is it budding too early
and then being touched by frost? We have one nice bloom on the
top of the 3' shrub. But what about the other branch tips?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This plant faces
south and receives at least 10 hours of sunlight per day.
A. There are many reasons besides weather which cause lilacs
not to bloom as expected. The buds may have been inadvertently
pruned off last year. Be careful, as the new buds for next spring
form shortly after the flowers die back. The bush is immature:
most varieties need 3-4 years to grow and develop before they
produce their first major show of blooms. Transplant shock:
if transplanted since the last blooming period, lilacs sometimes
will miss a year, as they need time to recover. Soil imbalance:
The pH should be measured, too much or too little of certain
chemicals, possibly needing a supplement of dolomite lime. Recommended
is a soil test through the local Cooperative Extension Service.
Improper mix of fertilizers applied: flowering is encouraged
with higher Phosphorus [the middle number of three in the fertilizer
formula, check label]. Sometimes, people use high nitrogen,
as a 30-10-10, which will produce fine green leaves while hindering
blooming.
Assistance from: http://www.gardenersnet.com
Annie writes~ My daughter has a lilac tree that did not bloom
this year. What would you suggest we use to encourage flowers?
Many thanks for your help.
A. Usually when you do some hard pruning during a season, you
will have plenty of new growth the next year -- but the blooms
are sacrificed for several years. If that is the case, then
be patient and your blooms will be back.
Lilacs perform in light shade but bloom the best when they have
plenty of full sun. If they are getting that and you have not
pruned them, try feeding them a bloom booster [high in the middle
number]. You can mulch your shrub with well-rotted manure, since
lilacs deplete soil of nutrients over time so need fertile soil.
Prune lilacs by thinning unproductive growths where old bushes
become overcrowded with too many branches and suckers. Prune
after flowering but do not forget to take advantage of the incredible
fragrance by taking cuttings for your friends and family. Usually
a lack of sunlight can be an initial problem. A minimum of 6
hours of sun is needed per day. Too much nitrogen [first number,
for foliage] can be a problem. Often lilacs are planted in the
lawn and fertilizers used to green up lawns are too high in
nitrogen. This causes beautiful green foliage but little bloom.
Avoid high nitrogen fertilizer around the plant and use suggested
fertilizer. No bloom after first year. Lilacs are sometimes
purchased as bareroot or ball and burlapped plants. These will
flower the same year but not reflower for 3-5 years. The flowers
were made from the previous year and it is normal that the plant
will have to make new roots and get settled in for a few years
before it reflowers. The best way to purchase lilacs are containerized
plants. These are lilacs that have passed at least 1 year in
the container. They will have a complete root system and will
reflower at an earlier age. Improper pruning time often is another
problem. Some lilac lovers prune their plants at the wrong time.
They should be pruned only when flowers are faded. Any other
pruning will result in the cutting of flower buds.
Assistance from the International Lilac Society, Inc.
Vida writes~
I have access to a very old white lilac bush that I can try
to grow new plants from. This is in middle northern Ohio, and
the shrub is in bloom now. Is there a good way to take branches
to try to root and will you show me the best way? Thank you
for all the information that you give us in your section of
Recipegoldmine. I take notes, but this is the first time I have
made a request.
A. Since the lilac is a shrub, go about propagating it from
stem cuttings taken in the autumn. To begin the stem-cutting
propagation process, first select a good 4" piece off the
top part of a healthy, non-flower-bearing shoot. If you cannot
obtain a flowerless piece, remove whatever flowers there are
on the shoot because they will slow down the rooting process.
When you have found the ideal piece, cut it off at a very slanted
angle and create scores just above and just below the vegetative
eyes, making sure that the cut is horizontal at the bottom and
on a slanted angle at the top. Next, apply a rooting hormone
[available locally] to the base, taking care not to apply it
heavily because excess powder will cause damage to the cutting.
Carefully tap the powdered edge of the cutting against the edge
of the hormone container to remove any excess. Plant cutting
in a mixture made up of 1/2 peat/1/2 coarse sand. Using a spade,
create a V-shaped trench about half the depth of your cutting
and insert the bottom half, making sure the base has good contact
with the soil. Fill any gaps in with soil, pat it down well
and water it. If planting the cutting outside, it will be necessary
to place a frame over it to protect it from the elements. For
a potted version [pots are usually better for starting roots
like this] use a bell clear glass cover or a plastic bag held
over it securely with a string tie or rubber band. Allow one
year to pass so that the roots are well developed before attempting
to transplant the shrub.
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