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Originally Posted by Tracey Jo Legel
I love the look and smell of lilacs this time of the year, but have some questions. The ones I usually see around here (Midwest USA zone 5) are very sparse at the bottom. Is that the way they are supposed to be? I would like to plant a row about 20 feet from the house, but I don't like the look of the ones I see when they are not in bloom. Is it because the ones I have seen are not pruned correctly or is this the way it grows? If it is supposed to be bushy at the top and thin at the bottom, what would be some good shade plants to help cover up the bottom?
Thanks for your help
Tracey
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Hi Tracey,
I think it's all in the way you grow and prune them. If prune the oldest stems to the ground and allow some suckers to grow to replace the oldest stems, then your lilac will stay fuller. It can take a new sprout 5 to 7 years to bloom. Also, prune the tops within two weeks of the finish of bloom or you will prune off next year's buds. Don't fertilize with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Lilacs prefer a more alkaline soil, so if you have acid soil, add a cup of lime around the base every couple of years. Here's some interesting sites about lilacs.
http://lilacs.freeservers.com//lilac_tips.html
http://www.lilacs.com/frames/care.htm
http://www.heardgardens.com/basicsforlilacs.htm
http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac/lilac02.htm
http://lilacs.freeservers.com//collections.html
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortn...993/lilac.html
Enjoy,
Newt
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When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
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