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Known for their beautiful , fragrant blooms and abundant growth , lilac are apopular landscaping choiceamong gardener . On top of this , they ’re also pretty easy to care for as long as you give them full sun and well - draining soil . However , they also need regular pruning .
If you ’ve lop Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or shrubs before , then you ’ll be felicitous to know that pruning lilacs is fairly like . For those who do n’t have much pruning experience , do n’t panic ! This scout on how to prune lilacs will give you all the information you need to screw .
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Do lilac bushes like to be pruned back?
Capable of reaching up to 15 feet tall , lilacs are fertile agriculturalist . Still , you should keep their growth in hindrance to ensure your Vannevar Bush remain healthy . on a regular basis snip your lilac encourages blooms for the following year and leave air circulation to prevent foliage disease . And , of course , you want to lop a lilac bush to give it shape so it does n’t become tall-growing or overgrown .
This kind of pruning for sustenance is typically referred to as “ sustenance pruning . ” Rejuvenation pruning , on the other paw , refers to pruning back a lilac bush that ’s been left unpruned for many years , which is when it strain that unruly leggy or overgrown state . This type of makeover can be more uttermost and you ’ll likely have to get rid of most of your old stems and cane to stimulate newfangled maturation .
When should you prune lilacs?
Lilacs broadly speaking need pruning once a yr after reaching 6 foot in height . The best time to snip them is right after theybloom in the spring . You want to prune immediately before your flowers mark out bud for next year , so cut them down the three - hebdomad period after they finish blooming is the ideal time soma . recent summertime or early fall may be too late for pruning , as you might risk cut off off buds for next year ’s efflorescence .
you’re able to also prune your lilac bush when it ’s dormantin late wintertime ; with this approach , you wo n’t need to navigate any view - blocking farewell . But the disadvantage to this is that the bud for spring flower have already formed , so you ’ll be minify your future heyday yield . If you clip lilac this metre of twelvemonth , try out to remove only dead branches that wo n’t return any bloom .
How to prune lilacs
Tools you need
To prune your lilac bush , you first need to gain the right tools . For protective equipment , pitch upwith gardening glovesand refuge glasses . To absent branch , source a fold proverb or pair of loppers for big cut and hand pruning hook for belittled one . Make certain your cutting tools are clean toprevent spreading unwanted diseases . You also require to arrest that they ’re knifelike because obtuse blades tend to rip up branches and make outgrowth wounds bring around slower .
How to prune to maintain your lilac bushes
bulge by evaluating the oldest branch , which are typically wrinkled and brickle . These branches are usually a few column inch dense , so it may be best to use a proverb with them . Keep an oculus out for diseased , discredited , or broken offset as you prune . trim back back dead or damaged woods to unwrap healthy woods — you might have to remove some branch only .
To give your bushes a flowing shape and prevent unwanted wounding , remove any crossing branches . you may also cut new stems to outward - facing bud to shape your bushes and encourage denser growth . With level-headed chaparral , cut no more than a third of your stems each year .
How to rejuvenate an overgrown lilac bush
If you have a lilac bush in a rough , overgrown experimental condition , you might have to cut back it down to about a base tall . If you drastically prune your plant , you may not see new blooms until one to three yr later . However , cut it down will stimulate new shoot for more vigorous growth . After a dramatic pruning , pay off attention to your tearing and fertilizing turn to advance foliage development .
If you do n’t require to cut down an overgrown lilac all at once , you could also write out it down slowly over several years to enjoy Modern foliage and blooms while you forge it . Some gardeners go about tackling overgrown bushes with a three - class outgrowth , which means they ’ll hack a third of their older lilac stems each year .
What happens if you don’t prune your lilacs?
A lilac that is n’t prune will grow large and wider , potentially causing problems for any other plant or structures nearby . It will also have a high-pitched risk of broken branches , gadfly damage , and disease or fungal transmission . A primary use of pruning is to off morbid or damaged branches before the disease spread or more branches become discredited . A shrub or Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that is overgrown will also have outgrowth that are produce more tight together , which can extend against each other and cause abrasions . These excoriation are vulnerable to pests and infection .
A lilac that has n’t been pruned will also begin to bloom less and less over the years . After a few years without pruning , you ’ll start to see flowers only flower on the outermost arm , leaving empty blank between them . gloomy branches will often be shade off by the high branches , leading to few blooms on the bottom one-half of the lilac as well . However , these consequences are n’t lasting ! If you ’ve missed a few pruning , or recently move to a house with an overgrown lilac bush , you could prune it back down to size and start seeing healthy growth and flowers once again !
If you have lilac Bush , put pruning on yourgrowing time of year to - do listeach year . While cut back is a necessary maintenance job , it does n’t have to be one that you overthink or dread . If you snip mightily after your lilac bloom and strategically remove old and damaged branch , you should be able to enjoy lovely , fragrant flowers by next outflow !
