Rejuvenating Lilac's...
I have three old lilac shrubs which I would like to rejuvenate by cutting some of the legs down to ground level. About how long does it take for new shoots to develop after cutting a leg off? And when is a good time to do the cutting? A lot of the wood on these shrubs are old and opened up, but the shrubs are in pretty decent shape. My concern is that no new shoots will develop after cutting down to the ground. Thanks, Chris Swartz Zone 5 |
Rejuvenating Lilac's...
Here's what I have done Chris, and it works great:
Select some of the oldest, largest canes for removal, with an eye towards opening up the shrub to allow more air and light in to the interior. I would take no more than a third of the total number of trunks. The best time to do this is very early spring, or immediately after flowering. Cut them off at ground level. Put down a generous layer of composted cow manure, sprinkling of bone meal, and mulch and then water when rain is not sufficient. You should get great suckering growth at the base and also great blooms next spring. For extra vigour you can deadhead the flowers for a few seasons as well. Dave "Chris S." wrote in message ... I have three old lilac shrubs which I would like to rejuvenate by cutting some of the legs down to ground level. About how long does it take for new shoots to develop after cutting a leg off? And when is a good time to do the cutting? A lot of the wood on these shrubs are old and opened up, but the shrubs are in pretty decent shape. My concern is that no new shoots will develop after cutting down to the ground. Thanks, Chris Swartz Zone 5 |
Rejuvenating Lilac's...
My concern is that no new shoots will develop
after cutting down to the ground. Don't worry. If you cut your oldest, thickest canes back to about 4 inches, you should have new growth to a height of 2-3 feet in the next season. The new canes will not bloom until the season after that. See: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopE...ubs/lilacs.htm sed5555 |
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