Lilac Tree Care and Pruning

Caring For Lilac Trees (Syringa)
Lilac Trees are strong growing shrubs but they will benefit from some basic care. Our easy to follow Lilac Tree care calendar highlights the care dates in the year. The dates are adjusted for your home town if you have previously set it, if not click here to go and set all GardenAction dates for your area.
 

 

How to Plant a Lilac Tree
Bought online or from a nursery, your Lilac Tree will probably come in a largish pot. Dig a hole about the depth of the pot and about twice as wide. Mix a handful of bonemeal into the dug up soil.

Remove the Lilac Tree from the pot. The way to do this is to place a hand over the soil in the pot with fingers either side of the main stem. Turn the plant upside down and ease it out of the pot. If the plant has become root bound, gently tease out some of the roots from the base of the root ball. Place the forsythia in the hole.

The top of the soil of the root ball should be level with the garden soil. Adjust the height of the plant by adding soil under it if needed. Fill in the hole around the plant with the dug soil. Firm the soil down as you fill in the hole to ensure the Lilac Tree isn't blown over in strong wind. Water well to consolidate the soil

How to Prune a Lilac Tree
Lilac Trees need a couple of years to establish themselves. To encourage them to do this, remove all flower heads before they develop into flowers in the first year. In the second year, remove 75% of all flower heads before they develop.

In all years, when the flowers begin to fade, remove them from the Lilac Tree. This will stop the plant putting unnecessary effort into producing seed. Lilac trees should also have any suckers removed, these will only sap strength from the tree.

In mid-Autumn, prune away any crossing or diseased / weak branches. The Lilac Tree can also be trimmed to shape each year. To rejuvenate a Lilac Tree that has been neglected, cut it back to 1 metre (3 feet) high. The plant will start flowering in two to three years time.

How to Propagate a  Lilac Tree
Lilac trees are propagated from semi-ripe cuttings taken in mid-August. The procedure for semi-ripe cuttings is common to many shrubs. This is covered in great detail in another of our articles, click here to go there now. With Lilac Tree cuttings there is a medium chance of success.
 

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Name: gloria
E-mail: Private
Date posted: October 06, 2011 - 09:52 pm
Message: hi i have had a lilac bush for 4 years now and i dont do much with it and i still get flowers but not many now i know what to do hoping to get more flowers

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Name: helena
E-mail: Private
Date posted: July 24, 2011 - 07:01 am
Message: I bouth a rebloming lilac busch and its 3 years old and its only 1 foot hy and its not bloming at all but it looks totaly healty I dont know what to do I gave it already furteliser and noting helps

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Name: Esther
E-mail: esthnermatheny57@yahoo.com
Date posted: July 05, 2011 - 09:51 am
Message: I transplanted a lilac tree one spring the house across from me burned down the city was going to tear down the house . I transplanted the tree it was raining theday i got it .I recently moved so i transplanted it and it is wilting real bad what can ido for it to keep it from dying.

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Name: kathie
E-mail: kglade46@att.net
Date posted: June 21, 2011 - 06:58 pm
Message: i just received a lilac tree which has been kept in a pot...

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Name: Janet
E-mail: jsgarai@hotmail.com
Date posted: June 20, 2011 - 06:35 pm
Message: We Purchased a small Lilac Last Summer, Which We Believe Would Be Now The Start Of Its Third Yr. We Have Fed It, And We Got 2 Flowers From It This Spring, And Its Growing Beautifully. Its Very Healthy Looking And I Have Now Dead Headed The Flowers And Am Wanting To Know If A High Potash Fertilizer Would Help In Getting More Flowers?? What Can We Do To Ensure More Flowers In The Comming Yrs?? Thank You So Much Janet...

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Name: wendy smith
E-mail: wendyskipper@yahoo.co.uk
Date posted: June 10, 2011 - 08:56 am
Message: We have a very well established lilac tree unfortunately a large branch at the back is dead we discovered some kind of vine has worked around it and appeared to have killed the branch. All the vine has been removed last year but this year the middle section of the tree started to grow leaves and bloom but seems to have stunted growth with the leaves remaining very small, another section of the tree is very healthy with dark green leaves and blossom and a further section is healthy with blossom but very light coloured leaves. We are most concerned that there is something wrong with tree and dont know what to do, can anyone advise what might be wrong and what we shoudl do

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Name: cookie
E-mail: tom.cook@xplornet.com
Date posted: May 27, 2011 - 05:41 am
Message: I clear soil to the roots and add 4 tbls of epsom salts to a 2 gallon watering can and pore onto the roots and recover. my 1st year I had about 5 flowers in the fall I did the same I repeated it next spring ,lotsa flowers.can also us on roses ,when planting vegitables ,makes omions sweeter tomatoes and cucumber bigger.

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Name: Martha
E-mail: marthamoore@vianet.ca
Date posted: May 21, 2011 - 09:02 pm
Message: I planted 3 Lilac bushes 5 years ago and was told not to prune for the first 5 years. All of them have never bloomed yet and this year I see all kinds of Lilac trees with blooms and our still haven't any blooms. Is this normal. Do you have any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong? Thankyou

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Name: Linds
E-mail: Private
Date posted: May 17, 2011 - 09:29 am
Message: My lilac tree's colour is very washed out. Would a slow release fertiliser help?
Thanks

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Name: linda
E-mail: lmayadams@shaw.ca
Date posted: May 13, 2011 - 07:18 pm
Message: what kind of fertilizer is best for a lilac tree. We just planted in May Thanks

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Name: cooper
E-mail: Private
Date posted: October 25, 2010 - 05:12 am
Message: Hi - you need to proof read this article as it say " Place the forsythia in the hole."
best wishes

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Name: vicki
E-mail: payneopticians@verizon.net
Date posted: September 27, 2010 - 01:19 am
Message: I have a lilac tree that I bought as a 3" cutting about 5 years ago. It has always lived in a pot on my back deck. I need to transplant it to a bigger pot again but can no longer place the pot on its side during winter as it will be too big. The tree is now about 4 ft. or more tall. How do I protect it for the winter. I do have a screened in porch. I am afraid to plant it in the ground at this time of year, especially since it is looking a littled peaked from the long VERY hot summer. Due to several personal losses, I neglected my plants a bit. I'd like to keep my lilac tree going strong. Please advise. Thank you.

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Name: candy
E-mail: Private
Date posted: September 02, 2010 - 10:47 am
Message: My lilac tree hasn't been pruned for years. I'm. Not for sure where I should cut the branches at. The branches have a v shape. Should I cut under the v? Thank you.

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Name: Derek Beesley
E-mail: derek.beesley165@btinternet.com
Date posted: August 14, 2010 - 09:37 am
Message: Our lilac tree is developing brown, shrivelled leaves. What to do please.

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