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23-05-2003, 02:20 PM

(SBHCOM) wrote in message ...
We live near a rural area and have wild lilacs growing in fields all over the
area. Since the local nursary charges $49.95 a shrub I plan on diggin up some
of these wild sweet smeelin Lilacs and give them a good home in my yard. They
are in full bloom right now (I have been picking the flowers off them for 2
weeks), so should I try to transplant them now or after the flowers die or when
all the leaves fall off them?

A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a dumb man something to stick in his
mouth.

The best time would be in early spring before the buds begin to swell.
If you can stand some dieback transplant them now and cut them back by
about 1/3
This 1/3 doesn't have to be the tops only. If you have a root mass
with multiple stems coming up removing 1/3-1/2 of the stems at or near
ground leval is even better.
With any luck they will push new growth enough to give you bloom in
2004.
Lilac likes sweet soil. Lime or wood ashes will sweeten.