I posted this earlier in another thread, with no response. Perhaps someone
could help? TIA.

Our lilac bush has been planted for
quite a few years (7 or 8) and this is the first year of prolific bloom. I
do have questions, though. There's a heavy undergrowth of new shoots -
should these be removed at (or below) ground level, or even removed at all
because they will replace old growth - and when (and if) should old growth
be removed to encourage flowering?

Dora





--

On Fri, 13 May 2005 21:13:39 -0400, limey wrote:

I posted this earlier in another thread, with no response. Perhaps someone
could help? TIA.

Our lilac bush has been planted for
quite a few years (7 or 8) and this is the first year of prolific bloom. I
do have questions, though. There's a heavy undergrowth of new shoots -
should these be removed at (or below) ground level, or even removed at all
because they will replace old growth - and when (and if) should old growth
be removed to encourage flowering?

Dora


You can remove the suckers growing on the bottom if you want. I remove the
spent flower heads after the flowers die back. Prune out any cross
branches (branches that are crossing). Prune off any dead branches,
branchlets.

"Tom Randy" wrote in message
limey wrote:

I posted this earlier in another thread, with no response. Perhaps
someone
could help? TIA.
Dora

You can remove the suckers growing on the bottom if you want. I remove the
spent flower heads after the flowers die back. Prune out any cross
branches (branches that are crossing). Prune off any dead branches,
branchlets.

Thanks, Tom.

Also be careful when you are removing the spent flower heads to remove only
the head because the new flowers for next year form immediately below the
old flowers so you don't want to cut off next years bloom.

"limey" wrote in message
...
I posted this earlier in another thread, with no response. Perhaps
someone
could help? TIA.

Our lilac bush has been planted for
quite a few years (7 or 8) and this is the first year of prolific bloom.
I
do have questions, though. There's a heavy undergrowth of new shoots -
should these be removed at (or below) ground level, or even removed at all
because they will replace old growth - and when (and if) should old growth
be removed to encourage flowering?

flowering seems to be primarily on second season branches. We lived with
this a few years, but the flowering occurrec higher and higher each year
until we finally realized that to keep it fairly low (if this is desirable
for one) cut the heck out of the old growth and encourage the lower, even
suckers sometimes, branches. (now most flowering is less than four or five
feet tall...... was ten or twelve, with bare leaves on lower limbs.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Lynn

"Lynn Coffelt" wrote in message

flowering seems to be primarily on second season branches. We lived with
this a few years, but the flowering occurrec higher and higher each year
until we finally realized that to keep it fairly low (if this is desirable
for one) cut the heck out of the old growth and encourage the lower, even
suckers sometimes, branches. (now most flowering is less than four or five
feet tall...... was ten or twelve, with bare leaves on lower limbs.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Lynn

I posted this earlier, Lynn, but it's not showing up in OE, so here goes:

Hmmm. That's interesting. This year, the bush has finally had bloom all
over but I'll watch to see if it shows the traits you mention. Many years
ago, my parents had huge lilac bushes that seldom bloomed - I remember my
Dad said the old growth should be cut out - but he was no longer up to it.
He was quite a gardener - too bad I didn't take much interest at that time.

Dora

"Smiles" wrote in message
Also be careful when you are removing the spent flower heads to remove
only the head because the new flowers for next year form immediately below
the old flowers so you don't want to cut off next years bloom.

Valuable tip - many thanks.

limey wrote:
I posted this earlier in another thread, with no response. Perhaps someone
could help? TIA.

Our lilac bush has been planted for
quite a few years (7 or 8) and this is the first year of prolific bloom. I
do have questions, though. There's a heavy undergrowth of new shoots -
should these be removed at (or below) ground level, or even removed at all
because they will replace old growth - and when (and if) should old growth
be removed to encourage flowering?

Dora





Lilacs
http://home.golden.net/~dhobson/column.html