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

Tracey Jo Legel wrote:
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?

Yup.

You might be happier with some of the miniatures. I have two in my yard
that are only about 5-6 feet high, and they bloom just as nicely but
with limbs much lower to the ground so they look like any other bush
when not blooming.

On the other hand, I have one clump of lilac that now reaches the roof
on that side of the house and spreads a good ten feet on each side of
the main trunks and there is nothing like being underneath it when it is
blooming. In the summer it forms a wonderful cool green cave.



Dawn

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

"Newt" wrote in message
...

Tracey Jo Legel Wrote:
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

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://tinyurl.com/azby8
http://www.lilacs.com/frames/care.htm
http://tinyurl.com/73bqy
http://tinyurl.com/al2a5
http://tinyurl.com/cde27
http://tinyurl.com/7whm2

Enjoy,
Newt


--
Newt

Thank you for the information. I do have alkaline soil, so this just may
work out fine.

Tracey

Hi Tracey

Lilacs can be rejuvenated by encouraging the suckers to grow. Then
you can cut 1/3 of the leggy limbs each year for 3 years. It will be
a nice shrub.

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