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Lilac Care:
Lilac Planting |
Lilac Care |
Lilac Pruning
Pruning Recommendations for Lilacs
No pruning should be done to a newly purchased plant. The more buds sprouting the quicker roots will regenerate
and the plant become established. In fact, pruning is unnecessary for the first five years. When the plant does
get too large or the older branches become "twiggy" and have smaller blooms then pruning can begin.
Pruning one or more of the oldest stems clear to the ground or back to the main trunk each year will slowly and
continually rejuvenate the bush and keep it from becoming excessively tall. The exact number of stems to remove
will depend on the vigor of the bush. On a plant with many stems, upwards to one third of them could be cut out each year.
Doing this (rejuvenating the whole bush every 3 years) will keep most varieties 6 - 8 feet tall and will result in the
best growth and largest blooms.
Whatever the number of stems cut, they should always be cut within 6 inches of the ground since the new growth will come
from just below the point of the cut. A stem cut in half will have new growth starting at the top of the cut stems.
There is no need to prune off the developing seed heads. Their presence has no effect on next year's bloom. Some
people find the seed pods unsightly, and removal will not hurt the plant, but it should always be remembered that taking
off the seed pods is done solely for cosmetic reasons.
Some sucker growth is good (on own rooted plants) because it will provide new stems for rejuvenation, allow the bush to
spread out to the final desired size, and produce propagation material for additional lilac plants to use in other places.
If there are too many suckers, the ones furthest away can be removed either by hand (a sharp spade or an asparagus knife
work well) or with a lawn mower if they come up in open ground. Leave several stems in the center of the clump. Then
when a stem is removed because it is too tall or diseased, where will be a stem to replace it and the flower display will
not be affected.
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