Lilacs How to Plant and Grow

Lilacs Bush Best Growing Conditions for Lilacs

Lilac plant (Syringa) is mainly grown for the beautiful blooms with intense fragrance. The colour of lilac flowers range from pink to purple and you can find dwarf to tall varieties. Lilacs plants are easy to take care of and can remain in the garden for decades.

Required Growing Conditions

• Lilacs grow best in humus rich fertile soil with a neutral or alkaline pH.
• You need to plant the lilacs in an area in your garden where it could receive full sunlight at least for six hours. If not exposed to the sun for the required period, the plant will not produce blooms properly.
• The soil should be well drained and compost rich. Excess water in the soil reduces blooms. If possible, plant them in elevated areas.
• You need to plant lilacs during spring or autumn. However, planting them during autumn before the soil freezes is the most ideal time.
• Place the lilac bush in such a way that the roots get spread vertically in the soil.
• Make sure that you make deep and wide holes which will accommodate the plant roots.
• Apply compost and mulch for each plant in spring to help it to retain moisture and to control the weed growth.

Pruning the Lilac Plant

If you feel that the flowers in your plant are getting smaller, you need to prune the plant. It is better to prune the plant in the spring just after they bloom.

• Make sure that you cut the oldest branches near to the ground. Keep all the canes at eye-height.
• Severe pruning will cause loss of blooms for 1-3 years. So, it is necessary to avoid drastic cuts.
• In the case of old plants, it is better to chop the plant at about 6-8 inches above the ground. Though it will take a few years to grow back you will have a bush full of blooms a few years after.

How to Take Cuttings from a Lilac Bush for Propagation?

If you are taking cuttings for propagation purpose, you need to select stems with softwood and need to make cuttings of 4-6 inches of length. Take cuttings immediately after the last flowering. You need to dip the root end of the cut stem in rooting hormone before planting.

How to Plant Lilac?

You need to select the variety of lilac to plant in your garden according to the colour of the flower, height of the full-grown plant, etc. You can purchase the plant saplings or runners from the nursery or can get it from other gardeners. Select plant saplings that have grown to a height of at least 12 inches. Make sure that you do not damage the roots of the sapling while digging it out. Soak the roots of the lilac sapling in water for 10 minutes and separate the roots. Dig holes in the ground big enough to hold the roots of the sapling. The base of the plant should remain at the ground level. Fill halfway of the hole with soil and water the plants before filling up the hole with soil. When you are planting more lilac bushes, there should be a gap of at least 5 feet between the plants to avoid overcrowding.