We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden . Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth but no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Willobie

"Willobie" wrote in message
...
We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden .
Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a
single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth
but no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any
differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Willobie

It is probably due to pruning at the wrong time as described in this
site:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03/pruning.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

"Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
"Willobie" wrote in message
...
We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden .
Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a
single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth
but no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any
differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Willobie

It is probably due to pruning at the wrong time as described in this
site:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03/pruning.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.



Thanks for the link. Actually the lilac wasn't pruned at all - could that
be the problem?

"Willobie" wrote:


Thanks for the link. Actually the lilac wasn't pruned at all - could
that
be the problem?

I cannot help you there except that the link says:

"Lilac bushes should be pruned and maintained each year for a
well-shaped healthy plant" and it gives the general impression that
pruning is necessary.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

The message
from "Willobie" contains these words:

Thanks for the link. Actually the lilac wasn't pruned at all - could that
be the problem?

No. probably too much available nitrogen and not enough phosphates. Try
digging in some bonemeal round its roots - without disturbing them too
much.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Emrys Davies" contains these words:

"Lilac bushes should be pruned and maintained each year for a
well-shaped healthy plant" and it gives the general impression that
pruning is necessary.

I've got a twelve-foot high lilac tree which probably hasn't been pruned
in thirty years, and it's covered in bloom. Likewise the one in the
hedge between me and next door, so pruning won't help it bloom, though
it might affect the size of the heads/bunches/wossnames.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Willobie" wrote in message
...
We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden . Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a
single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth but
no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any
differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Where you dumping your grass cuttings?
Our neighbour created a compost heap by the fence and put grass cuttings on
it. Nothing grew nearby.
His grass was treated with feed & 'weed'.
DaveK.

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Emrys Davies" contains these words:

"Lilac bushes should be pruned and maintained each year for a
well-shaped healthy plant" and it gives the general impression that
pruning is necessary.

I've got a twelve-foot high lilac tree which probably hasn't been pruned
in thirty years, and it's covered in bloom. Likewise the one in the
hedge between me and next door, so pruning won't help it bloom, though
it might affect the size of the heads/bunches/wossnames.



I agree, I had one that very rarely got pruned at all, it seemed to flower
irrespective of what I did to it.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Hi

Your lilac is recouperating from last years flowering abundance.
Plants try to conserve energy by cycling the blossoms.


Horticulturalist

We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden . Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth but no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Willobie

"
We have a standard lilac which is about 3 years old in the garden .
Last
year it was covered in flowers at this time but this year it hasn't a
single
bud! The lilac looks very healthy and has put on a lot of new growth but
no
hint of any flower buds. We haven't moved it or treated it any
differently
so what could be the matter with it?

Willobie


Derryl" wrote in message
...
Hi

Your lilac is recouperating from last years flowering abundance.
Plants try to conserve energy by cycling the blossoms.


Horticulturalist

Does that mean it should flower next year? I'm surprised that there isn't a
single bud...

Willobie

Hi Willobie,

There are several reasons that lilacs fail to bloom. You've already gotten some of them. Here's the most common reasons.

Not mature enough as it can take 5 to 7 years for new sprouts to bloom.
Not enough sun as they like full sun - 6 hours or more.
Too much nitrogen from fertilizers, especially if grown in or near a lawn that is fertilized. Causes lush leaf growth at expense of flowers.
Pruned at the wrong time in the wrong way. Remove spent blooms within two weeks of finish of bloom as they set their buds for next years bloom then. Rejuvinate old shrubs by cutting the oldest trunks to the ground. Do one third of shrub a year.
Lilacs prefer a more alkaline soil. If the soil is acid, add a cup of lime every couple of years to the base of the shrub and gently scratch in.

Here's some handy links:
http://spi.8m.com/care.htm
http://lilacs.freeservers.com//lilac_tips.html
http://www.lilacs.com/frames/care.htm
http://gardencenter.southernstates.c...ilactree.shtml


Pruning info:
http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac/lilac02.htm
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortn...993/lilac.html

Newt