Lilac that's never been pruned? How do you even go about working out
which third of the stems need doing. Is it best to take out weedy growth
first then 1/3 rest of stems? Looked it up in books but though they say
in a cavalier manner, that you just pruned after flowering and take out
a third it doesn't help much if you can't see the wood for the trees!
Can't find anything much on the smaller rarer lilac
either.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

I'd take out all the weedy growth and then re-evaluate.

Sometimes big old branches won't re-shoot (more than 3 inches diameter), so don't get too enthusiastic. Smaller branches should reshoot, so you can take them out quite short. They'll then throw up straight vertical stems anything from 3 to 6 feet. These won't flower next year, it'll be the year after, or the year after that.

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Lilac that's never been pruned? How do you even go about working out which
third of the stems need doing. Is it best to take out weedy growth first
then 1/3 rest of stems? Looked it up in books but though they say in a
cavalier manner, that you just pruned after flowering and take out a third
it doesn't help much if you can't see the wood for the trees! Can't find
anything much on the smaller rarer lilac
either.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I have the same problem. I inherited some when I moved here and they are
out of control.
Tina

"Janet Tweedy" wrote
Lilac that's never been pruned? How do you even go about working out
which third of the stems need doing. Is it best to take out weedy
growth first then 1/3 rest of stems? Looked it up in books but though
they say in a cavalier manner, that you just pruned after flowering
and take out a third it doesn't help much if you can't see the wood
for the trees! Can't find anything much on the smaller rarer lilac
either.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I don't know how you'd tackle a very large common lilac, but last year
we cleared an area where I'd got a rather overgrown and out of shape
small flowered one (I believe it's Syringa meyeri) which must be at
least 20 years old. I cut it right down to a stump about 9" from the
ground in a kill-or-cure fashion. This year it has sprouted lots of nice
new shoots all round and is making a neat little shrub again. So as far
as this type of lilac is concerned it seems to be tough as old boots.
--
Sue