Who has some tips on talking care of Lilacs?

Probably more than you ever wanted to know :)





Lilac Care and Feeding





Lilacs are a low-maintenance shrub. They offer good summer shade after they have reached several feet tall and they provide privacy to neighboring properties.With just a little care and maintenance, and the knowledge of how to replenish the old wood with new shoots, the shrubs will last a lifetime.


Lilacs do not like to get their feet (the roots) wet for a prolonged period of time. They do best on hillsides, slightly elevated areas, or level ground where there is good drainage. Their roots run deep. If you have an extended dry period or drought, water infrequently but thoroughly. Lilacs do not grow well in lowlands where water tends to collect for prolonged periods of time.


Weed around your lilac bushes to maintain a clean, aesthetic look. Pile mulch high to retain some soil moisture and to keep weeds down. But, do not make mulch so thick that new shoots are hampered from sprouting and developing.


Lilacs will tolerate almost any kind of soil, from clay to sand with a pH of 6 to 7. Like any plants, will benefit from compost and humus worked into the soil to help retain some water during dry spells and to provide additional nutrients.


You do not need to provide frequent fertilizer or organic feeding for your lilacs. Use a general purpose fertilizer in early spring or one high in Phosphorous to promote blooming. Too much nitrogen in the soil will result in poor blooms. Repeat the use of a general purpose fertilizer after the flowers have died off.


Tip: Spread your fireplace ash around the drip line of your bush for bigger and better blooms.





Lilac Pests and Disease





Insects:





Lilacs are fairly hardy plants. Most insect pests do not bother them to any serious degree. For occasional insect problems, such as aphids or borers, treat with an insecticidal soap or a mild insecticide like Sevin.





Pests:


Mice and moles are one of the biggest pests of lilacs. During hard winters, they will chew on the bark of the stems at or near ground level and can kill a plant. They harbor under the mulch you amply provided and feed on your plant especially in the harshest of winters.





Disease:


Lilacs are susceptible to a couple of plant diseases. Most common is powdery mildew. Powdery mildew occurs most frequently during hot and humid weather. Treat any outbreak early. Apply a general purpose fungicide two or three times about a week apart as soon as the problem is spotted. For major outbreaks, trim away infected branches and dispose of.them. Do not add them to the compost heap.While this disease can cause major problems with more tender fruits, flowers and vegetables, it will generally not cause long term or serious problems for your bush. Powdery mildew's unsightly appearance is the biggest negative for Lilacs.





Lilac Problems


Bacterial blight of lilac is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Several samples showing the presence of this disease have been recently received in the Plant Disease Clinic. Initial symptoms include brown, water-soaked spots on leaves. These spots usually enlarge and coalesce, often causing leaves to become misshapened. Eventually leaves may be killed. When the infection spreads around a twig, it becomes girdled and dies. This phase of the disease is evident as young new shoots develop in the spring. Shoots turn a black color, droop over, and die. Control consists of pruning out blighted twigs as soon as they occur. Pruners should be dipped in alcohol or a 10% bleach solution between cuts to prevent spreading the disease. Cut several inches below the margin between healthy and diseased tissue. Prune in dry weather only, and be sure to remove and destroy all infected tissue. Where possible, thin plants to provide good air circulation. The use of a copper-based product such as Bordeaux mixture may aid in disease control. Applications should be started when new growth appears in the spring. Follow the label instructions of the product purchased for specific rates and timing. Lilac blight can be confused with frost injury to newly emerging tissue. Cold temperatures may cause blackening of leaf tissue, with new shoots turning a black color and drooping over. However, the brownish, watersoaked spots characteristic of the bacterial disease are not evident. Also, with cold temperature injury, the blackened leaf tissue may be more prominent on the margins of leaves. When diagnosing a lilac in poor vigor, also examine the stems and trunk for evidence of any mechanical injury, (such as by borers, animals, or mowing equipment).





Lilac Propagation


It usually takes at least three years before you get blooms on your lilacs. Most people buy lilacs from garden supply stores or catalogs. (Yes, they can be bought on the Internet and shipped.) Most of us buy common varieties of Lilacs as small bushes that are already 2 to 3feet tall. Two to three years later, and you will see your first bloom.


Another popular way to grow new bushes is too take small shoots from an existing plant. Select a shoots which are one to two feet tall. Look for good root systems. Dig deeply to extract as much of the root as possible. The main root will be attached to the mother plant. Use clippers to cut it from the main bush. Plant the new shoot in the location you have selected. Add compost to the soil before planting. Plant three to five shoots in each area. Water thoroughly. Like all transplants, the survival rate is higher if transplanted in cooler weather and you keep the soil moist, but not water-logged.


You can also grow Lilacs from seed, although this is exceedingly uncommon approach. At the end of the season, you can harvest the seed from the dead flowers after they have dried, but before they fall out of the seed pods onto the ground. Growing from seed takes time and patience and most gardeners don't want to wait to see their first lilac in their yard.


Nowadays, growing Lilacs from seed is a task left to horticulturalists and garden supply stores. If you are really into creating a unique variety, you will pollinate blooms and carefully harvest the seed. After generations of plants and many, many years, you could create a new variety to ad to over 1,000 that already exist.





In response to 4knowledge: Generally I do cite a source although I have no idea what 'common courtesy' has to do with anything. Unfortunately the above information was given to me a few years ago by a horticulturist friend. Since he worked in the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, I assume it is reliable. I trust you didnt find anything wrong with the information. If you did, please let me know and I will correct as needed. Dan

Who has some tips on talking care of Lilacs?
neglect them. truthfully.
Reply:I'm not sure where Dan got his information, but it's common courtesy to cite your sources.
Reply:Water them everyday with 1 cup of water
Reply:cut out any thing bigger than your wrist, keeps them in control, other than that they're like weeds.



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