standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

One of the plants also has tiny pink, flower like growths at the tips of the
branches. Could these be a late attempt to flower?

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

"michael cane" wrote in message
...
Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

One of the plants also has tiny pink, flower like growths at the tips of
the
branches. Could these be a late attempt to flower?


If it was a different rootstock, the rootstock species leaves would be below
the graft, not above it.
R U sure its not just the fact that younger leaves sometimes look quite
different from older?

--
Tumbleweed

Remove theobvious before replying (but no email reply necessary to
newsgroups)

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

"michael cane" wrote in message
...
Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

Surely the growth is of the scion and not the stock if it is above the
graft.

[snip]

Franz

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

"michael cane" wrote in message ...
Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

One of the plants also has tiny pink, flower like growths at the tips of the
branches. Could these be a late attempt to flower?

Have you correctly identified the graft union? As others have said, suckers will arise from *below* the graft. This is a standard
and may be 'top worked' ie grafted at the top of the stem. The apparent discontinuity you see at the bottom of the stem could be the
result of propagation of the rootstocks in a 'stool bed' system. And yes privet is/was commonly used as a rootstock for lilac. To
find graft union look for difference in diameter or other discontinuity but the absolute giveaway is change in colour/texture of the
bark on a sharp line.

Rod

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

"michael cane" wrote in message
...
Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

Surely the growth is of the scion and not the stock if it is above the
graft.

[snip]

I would like to attach a n additional question:
I have a forest of suckers from below the graft of a lilac. No amount of
clearing up seems to curb them. Does it make sense to try and control them
with glyphosate, or will I wreak irreparable damage on the tree?

Franz

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:
"michael cane" wrote in message
...

Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

Lilac is often grafted on to privet to prevent suckering.

Surely the growth is of the scion and not the stock if it is above the
graft.

[snip]

Depends where the grafts are. Since they are standards, I'd guess the
grafts are at the top of the stem.

I would like to attach a n additional question:
I have a forest of suckers from below the graft of a lilac. No amount of
clearing up seems to curb them. Does it make sense to try and control them
with glyphosate, or will I wreak irreparable damage on the tree?

Since glyphosate is systemic, I wouldn't try it. I'm afraid the only
solution to my suckering (with an 's') lilac is a spade or a mattock.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

standard lilac reverting to rootstock?
 

In article , michael
cane writes
Wife has bought two standard lilacs from QVC. After a month, one has a
different type of leaf growing from above the graft, looks very much like
privet. Is it possible that rootstock is privet? I have cut off the
offending shoot and rubbed out some small buds way down the stem. Is this
going to be a regular problem?

One of the plants also has tiny pink, flower like growths at the tips of the
branches. Could these be a late attempt to flower?

Yes, almost certainly.

But which lilac have you got? If it were not the usual lilac, but one of
the other species like Syringa microphylla, pink flowers would be what
you'd expect, with not quite the abundance of flowers in the main
flowering period, but a steady trickle of pink scented flowers over the
rest of the summer.



--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm