Pruning Lilac Bushes When To Trim Lilac Bushes

The best time for pruning lilac bushes is right after their flowering has ceased. This allows new shoots plenty of time to develop the next season of blooms. Pruning lilacs too late can kill young developing buds.

What month do you prune lilac bushes?

The time to prune mature lilac plants is just after the flowers have faded in the spring. Lilacs set next season's flower buds almost immediately, so late pruning will mean sacrificing the next year's flowers.

How far can you cut back a lilac bush?

One way to renew a large, overgrown lilac is to cut the entire plant back to within 6 to 8 inches of the ground in late winter (March or early April). This severe pruning will induce a large number of shoots to develop during the growing season.

Should you trim back lilac bushes?

Lilacs should be pruned yearly to develop a good framework of stems and promote vigorous growth that enhances flowering. ... Removing stems may be done immediately after flowering, or, if you don't mind sacrificing a few blossoms, in late winter. Shoots and stems should be cut off at or just below soil level.

Can I prune lilacs in the fall?

The best time -- and only correct time, really -- to prune lilacs is just after blooming. ... For lilacs, the recommended method is generally to remove one third of the old wood each year immediately after flowering and shape the shrub over a number of seasons. Of course, you can prune in the fall if absolutely required.

Are coffee grounds good for lilac bushes?

Using Fresh Coffee Grounds

Grow lilacs in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (at a pH near 7.0). If your soil is in poor condition, add compost to enrich. Lilacs don't like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water.

How do I prune a lilac bush?

Trimming lilacs is best accomplished using clippers. Remove spent blooms all the way to the stems to prevent seeding and encourage more blooms later on. Cut back about a third of the branches. Cut away shoots growing near the ground that may be sprouting from the main trunk.

How much do you prune lilac bushes?

Pruning lilac shrubs

A good rule of thumb when pruning lilacs is not to prune more than one third of a shrub's stems per year. When one of my lilacs climbed a little too high towards the eavestrough, I simply trimmed those branches to a reasonable height. I then trimmed the spent blooms and called it a day.

What is the lifespan of a lilac bush?

1. Lilacs live a long time. Some lilacs shrub varieties can live 200 years, so think about this when you plant them and put them in a place where they aren't likely to be disturbed. Two of the most fragrant are 'Miss Kim' and plain old Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac.

How tall should a lilac bush be?

Height/Spread:

The common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) grows 12 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. There are many smaller dwarf varieties that mature at 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 7 feet wide. Japanese tree lilacs (Syringa reticulata) can reach 25 to 30 feet tall.

How do you prune an overgrown Miss Kim lilac?

How to Prune Miss Kim Lilac Bushes

Wait until early to midsummer, then examine the Miss Kim lilac bush for branches that have few or no leaves. Cut these branches off near the base of the bush with hand pruners or loppers. ...
Look at the bush to locate the longest, tallest branches. ...
Remove lilac blooms from the bush when they start turning brown.

Can you keep a lilac bush small?

An older lilac may stop blooming if neighboring trees have grown up to cast shade on it. Lilacs need regular renewal pruning to thin them out and control their size. ... Since common lilac is a big shrub or a small tree, growing 8 to 20 feet tall and almost as wide, it can simply be too much shrub for smaller yards.

When should hydrangeas be cut back?

When to prune hydrangeas. Most pruning is carried out in late winter or early spring. However, the climbing hydrangea is pruned after flowering in summer.

Should hydrangeas be cut back in the fall?

They are best pruned in fall or winter. Even if you cut canes back to ground level during dormancy, the shrubs will grow back and produce blooms in spring. However, pruning to the ground weakens the stems over time and you may have to stake the plants to keep them upright.

Is it better to trim bushes in the fall or spring?

Cut back shrubs grown primarily for their foliage, like barberry and burning bush, almost anytime except in late autumn. New growth that starts after late-season pruning won't harden off properly before winter. If you want to do major pruning, it's best to cut the shrub back when it is dormant in winter.

Is it better to prune in fall or spring?

In early fall, pruning wounds close more slowly and plants are more at risk for fungal diseases than at other times of year. For most trees, the best time for major pruning is late winter to early spring because wounds close faster.

Is Miracle Gro good for lilacs?

Plant lilacs in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Feed lilacs in spring with Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage shrubs to set more blooms for the following season. Prune to encourage blooming.

Are eggshells good for lilacs?

Eggshells can be added to the soil anytime. Pulverize them and sprinkle them around your lilac bushes, gently turning them into the top few inches of your soil. Take care not to damage any roots and water thoroughly to help leech the eggshells into the soil.

Are banana peels good for lilacs?

Organic Lilac Food

Grass clippings and coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, but use them sparingly in compost. Banana peels offer potassium to the soil.

How do you keep lilac bushes blooming?

To improve the flowering of lilacs, keep the grass from growing around them. A 16- to 24-inch circle of landscape cloth placed around the bushes and covered with bark or stone will keep the grass down. Force a winter bouquet from cut branches of lilac. Bruise the cut ends and set them in water.

Is Epsom salt good for lilac bush?

Lilacs are dormant in the late fall to late winter. Epsom salts are a good natural fertilizer for lilacs and tomatoes. Add about one cup of Epsom salts to the soil around the drip line of the plant. ... Sprinkle the salts (don't clump them or dump them in a big pile) and work them into the soil a little bit with a rake.

Can you cut back bushes in the fall?

Remove dead or diseased wood anytime. Light shaping in fall for shrubs that have uneven growth is okay. Remove stems growing out of the shrub by cutting close to the parent branch, not by shearing. Shearing promotes new growth which is unwanted this late in the season, since it can cause winter damage.