- Feed you lilacs during the second year of growth
- Fertilize in early spring before new growth
- Apply a 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Spread some fireplace ash around the drip line of your bush, for bigger and better blooms
- Bone meal can make soil more alkaline
- Epsom salt once per month can make plant grow bushier and produce more flowers
What is the best fertilizer for lilacs?
Lilac Fertilizing Tips
- Feed you lilacs during the second year of growth
- Fertilize in early spring before new growth
- Apply a 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Spread some fireplace ash around the drip line of your bush, for bigger and better blooms
- Bone meal can make soil more alkaline
- Epsom salt once per month can make plant grow bushier and produce more flowers
How to plant, grow and care for Lilac?
The Ultimate Guide to Planting, Growing, and Caring for Lilacs
- Common Lilac. Heather Trilling of Trilling Landscape Design & Build says that common lilacs (arguably the most popular variety) are beloved for their colorful and fragrant flowers.
- Dwarf Korean Lilac. ...
- Manchurian Lilac. ...
- Persian Lilac. ...
- Chinese Lilac. ...
When to feed lilacs?
Feed you lilacs during the second year of growth. Fertilize in early spring before new growth. Apply a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Spread some fireplace ash around the drip line of your bush, for bigger and better blooms. Bone meal can make soil more alkaline. Epsom salt once per month can make plant grow bushier and produce more flowers.
Can lilac bushes be grown indoors?
Yes, you can but most lilac types are not suitable for growing indoors because some grow to 30 feet tall. When picking a lilac plant, you should look for a dwarf variety or one that will stay small. If you restrict the roots too much the plants will not flower or grow.
Does Miracle Grow work on lilacs?
To get lilacs off to a nutrient-filled start, improve individual planting holes by blending Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Trees & Shrubs with the native soil in a 50:50 ratio. This garden soil also contains phosphorus and iron to encourage root growth and help prevent leaves from yellowing.
Do lilacs like fertilizer?
The bushes are hardy and require little attention, including fertilizer, except in nutrient-poor regions. For those plants, rejuvenation pruning might be a better answer, but you can also apply lilac plant fertilizer in spring for added health.
How do you keep a lilac tree healthy?
How To Care For Lilacs in the GardenApply a good layer of mulch every year to retain moisture and control weeds.Wait until the top becomes thoroughly dry and then water the common lilac trees well.Fertilize lilacs very sparingly. ... Pruning lilacs correctly tops the list of to-dos when it comes to taking care of lilacs.More items...
Do lilacs like coffee grounds?
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 can I make my lilacs bloom better?
Try to do just a light pruning right after the spring bloom. A drastic pruning of lilac will delay the next bloom, so just thin out the oldest and thickest branches, and trim inner branches to allow sunlight to penetrate through the bush. Consider the age of your lilac bush, which may have grown into a tree by now.
Is Epsom salt good for lilacs?
A dose of Epsom salts can help lilac bush to flower.
What is the best fertilizer for lilacs?
Best Fertilizer For Lilacs Lilac plants do not need a lot of fertilizer or feeding. We recommend a 10-10-10 fertilizer mix applied annually in the early spring. (The numbers 10-10-10 represent the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – or as they are commonly known, NPK – in the formula).
How do you rejuvenate an old lilac tree?
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.
Why are the leaves on my lilac tree turning brown?
Bacterial blight – The bacteria Pseudomonas syringae causes early shoot and branch dieback, distorted leaves, and leaf spots that start out olive green but soon develop water-soaked areas. Those spots turn brown with yellow margins and begin to die. Blossoms may become limp or turn brown suddenly.
How do you make a lilac Fuller?
Lilacs should be pruned yearly to develop a good framework of stems and promote vigorous growth that enhances flowering. Yearly pruning consists of cutting diseased, misshapen, and unproductive stems to the ground. I also thin and remove some stems to encourage properly spaced, vigorous growth.
Are lilacs acid loving?
Lilacs prefer soil that is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. The bushes may suffer if the pH is either too high or too low, as the nutrients they need to thrive may not be readily available from the soil.
How often do you fertilize lilacs?
For the best shrub care, fertilize with a well-balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer once in early spring before new growth appears. NOTE: This is part 4 in a series of 8 articles.
What is the best food for lilacs?
Organic plant food usually consists of bone meal, feather meal , earthworm castings, and kelp. These ingredients feed microbes present in the soil that then furnish nutrients to your lilacs. Lilac shrubs usually do not require much organic feeding or fertilizers.
What nutrients do lilacs need to bloom?
This ratio is generally referred to as NPK in fertilizers. Every plant needs nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous to grow. If they do not receive these nutrients in an adequate amount, they fail to bloom. These nutrients are necessary for lilacs to have optimum health.
What is the purpose of phosphorus in lilacs?
Phosphorous helps your lilacs to store and use energy, including in its photosynthesis process. It is responsible for the healthy growth of roots. It also enhances your lilac’s fruit and flower production. Phosphorous is an essential nutrient that helps your lilacs to grow and develop.
What is the NPK of lilacs?
NPK refers to the composition of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium levels in the fertilizer. They provide the necessary nutrients for the healthy growth of your lilacs. Make sure that your fertilizer has a well balanced NPK ratio. Otherwise, it leads to heavy blooms and excessive foliage.
How long do lilacs live?
The lifespan of a lilac bush is more than 100 years. Some lilacs even have a life expectancy of about 350 years or more! They have a long life mostly because they are very hardy and can grow with very low-maintenance.
Why are my lilac leaves curling up?
Lilac leaves can curl up for quite a few different reasons. Leaves curling up along with crispy edges are usually a sign of dehydration. It is a sign that the lilac bushes are not receiving enough sunshine and water.
How much sunlight does a lilac need?
They also require full sunlight for a minimum of six hours for strong flowering. Lilacs love humus-rich, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil with a pH nearing 7.0 When nurtured well, it can grow up to 2.5 m (8 feet). Some varieties also grow up to 9 m (30 feet). Healthy nutrition and proper care can ensure that your lovely lilacs live for decades. ...
History Lesson on The Lilac Bush
Lilac plants have come a long way from Greek mythology. According to the Greeks, the forest god Pan was in love with Syringa, a nymph. Pan pursued her through the forest, and as she was afraid, she turned herself into a lilac bush.
Lilac Fertilizer: When to Feed Your Plant
The fantastic thing is you only need to feed your lilac plants after the 2nd year of planting. When you do this, it helps with flower production and is best done in early spring.
How To Fertilize Lilac Bushes
Your plant is low maintenance and grows well in cool summers. Yet, when grown in hot, humid weather, you may find powdery mildew forming on the leaves.
Best Lilac Fertilizers To Use In Early Spring
Now that we know when to fertilize lilacs, the next question is, what is the best fertilizer for lilac plants. Well, here at Plantly, we believe in going organic. So, yes, there is no need for artificial feeds, and it is environmentally friendly.
General Care Tips For Lilac
To help promote blooming and keep your lilac plant thriving, we have compiled a few care tips you can follow:
Final Thought
While lilac plants grow mostly outdoors, you can find dwarf lilacs as indoor plants to place in the home. Providing your lilac with a feed promotes long-term vitality living in neutral soil.
What is the best plant for low maintenance?
If you value low-maintenance gardening then the lilac bush (Syringa vulgaris) is the perfect plant for you. A deciduous shrub, the lilac thrives in almost any type of soil, it isn't bothered by insects and doesn't require a lot of fertilizer. Apply a fresh layer of mulch around the lilac bush.
Why do lilacs have less flowers?
If your lilac bush is growing in or near the lawn, keep lawn fertilizers away from the lilac's root zone as excess nitrogen will cause the plant to produce more foliage and fewer flowers.
Is a lilac a shrub?
Lilacs provide the garden a light, sweet fragrance in the spring and the fragrance can be brought indoors with cut flowers. A deciduous shrub, the lilac thrives in almost any type of soil, it isn't bothered by insects ...
How to Care for a Lilac Tree
To care for a lilac tree, grow it in full sun and humus-rich, well-drained soil. Water the lilac regularly during spring if rainfall is less than 1” (2.5 cm). In spring, apply compost and mulch around the root area. Remove suckers in spring to retain the tree shape.
Lilac Tree (Syringa vulgaris) Facts
Common lilac is a large shrub or small tree in the genus Syringa and the olive family Oleaceae. A lilac shrub-like tree grows 8 to 16 ft. (2.4 – 5 m) tall and 6 to 12 ft. (1.8 – 3.6 m) wide. This fast-growing tree has a vase-shaped or round crown, and the dense foliage provides shelter and shade.
Is Lilac a Shrub or a Tree?
Lilac is classified as a large deciduous shrub or a small multi-stemmed tree. If left to its own devices, a lilac plant produces suckers that form multiple woody stems or thin trunks with light brown or gray bark. Therefore, regular pruning is necessary to remove stems that grow around the central trunk.
Lilac Tree Flowers
Lilac flowers are the most attractive feature of this easy-to-grow flowering tree. The attractive lilac flowers are conical blooms made up of highly fragrant individual flowers. Each tiny flower has four to five petals. Lilac blooms measure between 6” and 8” (15 to 20 cm) long.
When Do Lilac Trees Bloom?
Lilac trees generally have a short blooming time—just three to four weeks in spring. However, there are varieties of lilac that bloom at different times throughout the season. Planting various lilac shrubs and trees can ensure a longer blooming time for up to six weeks.
What Do Lilac Tree Flowers Smell Like?
Lilac flowers give off a strong, sweet fragrance that fills the air. The deep, rich floral aromas have hints of vanilla and are like the fragrance of roses. However, if the scent of lilac is too over-powering, then some lilac cultivars have little or no scent.
Types of Lilac Tree
There are hundreds of varieties of lilac trees and shrubs for your garden landscape. Lilac trees have various colors, including pure white, dusty pink, vibrant magenta flowers, and various shades of purple. Some of the most spectacular lilac trees have clusters of multicolored flowers.
Why are my lilacs powdery?
Hot, humid weather can cause a powdery mildew to form on the leaf. Lilac plants do not need a lot of fertilizing or organic feeding. We recommend using a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus to promote flowering. Too much nitrogen in the soil can result in poor blooms.
What is the best fertilizer for lilacs?
Bone meal is also a great fertilizer for lilac plants because it makes soil more alkaline. Bone meal is a natural plant food that is easy for the lilac to intake. Using Epsom salt once per month on your lilac plant can make the plant grow bushier and produce more flowers (2 tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water).
Do lilacs need fertilizer?
Lilacs are known to be an easily cultivated flower. This low maintenance plant is great for gardeners who do not have a lot of time to garden. Lilac plants do not need a lot of fertilizer. We recommend fertilizing your plant after the second year of planting.
Can you use bone meal on lilacs?
Adding bone meal to the soil can make it more alkaline. If you choose to feed your plant in the spring, you can use Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food. Lastly, Lilac plants do not like acidic soil. you can use Epsom salts during the dormant period to help promote blooming.
What pH should I use for lilacs?
Soil should be neutral to alkaline at a pH near 7.0. (Rest assured that lilacs can grow well in virtually any other type of soil.) To help your plants retain moisture and for weed control, apply a layer of compost under your lilacs every spring. Lilacs seldom need supplemental water if rainfall is steady.
What are lilacs used for?
Lilacs also have a wide range of uses in the home garden. They can serve as border plants, corner plantings, windscreens or flowering hedges.
How much Epsom salt should I use for lilacs?
Do this once per month; the general rule is 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water. Note that lilacs won't bloom if they're overfertilized, though.
Why isn't my lilac flowering?
Because of its hardiness, versatility and attractiveness, the lilac is a widely beloved plant. However, if your lilac isn't flowering, this could be due to several factors. To help speed the process along, it can be helpful to apply phosphorus-rich fertilizer to the soil.
When should I prune a lilac tree?
Since lilacs bloom on old wood, you should prune this plant in the spring right after it's done flowering for the year , or you may be pruning too much. Severe pruning results in the loss of blooms for one to three years.
Do lilacs need water?
Lilacs seldom need supplemental water if rainfall is steady. In drought conditions, it's best to water them. Every year after your lilacs have bloomed, remove any dead wood. Another way to help encourage flowering is to keep the grass growing around your lilacs.
Can you use Epsom salt on lilacs?
Bonemeal is also an excellent fertilizer for lilacs, as it contains the lime that can sweeten acid soil. Perhaps surprisingly, using Epsom salt and sugar for your plants can be beneficial when it comes to speeding up flower production. Epsom salt can make plants grow bushier, produce more flowers and even increase chlorophyll production along ...
How to get lilacs to grow in a hole?
Check the Soil – If your location doesn’t offer rich soil , add compost or fertilizer to the hole before adding the lilac to the hole. You can use a testing kit to check the pH balance of your soil, and remember: lilacs prefer a slightly acidic pH level of 5 to 7.
How many different colors of lilacs are there?
You may find seven different colors of lilacs in total, and these plants make wonderful additions to your home garden. The blooms will attract lovely hummingbirds and butterflies, and the plants themselves add a dose of beauty to any yard. The beautiful lilac flowers cluster together as they grow on a bush or tree.
Why is the lilac tree so popular?
Its blooms are fragrant and gorgeous, and the lilac’s scent is unmistakable. In fact, it’s commonly used in perfumes and fragrant lotions because it’s known to trigger pleasant memories and happy feelings.
Why do lilacs have white spots?
Too much water, or a particularly hot and humid summer, can cause lilacs to develop powdery white mildew. Although the mildew isn’t going to kill your plant, pruning the bushes is the easiest way to treat and prevent the spread of disease. About Brit Haines.
How big do lilac bushes get?
Shrubs can exceed 20 feet in height and live long lives, and even small lilac bushes will become full- to medium-sized trees in no time. Therefore, consider the size of your plant when you choose your spot. Find a place that offers good air circulation and drainage as well as sunshine.
How tall do lilacs grow?
They offer a strong fragrance and often grow up to 20 feet tall. The most fragrant lilacs from this variety include: Charles Joly – Magenta flowers that are early bloomers. Monge – Deep reddish-purple colored flowers appearing in the mid-season. Firmament – Blue flowers in the mid season.
What are the pests that attack lilacs?
Common Pests and Disease Problems. Michel_van_der_Vegt / Pixabay. Lilac bushes and trees are typically sturdy, but pest problems can happen. Slugs and snails are the most common culprits to attack lilacs. If you notice insects taking out your plant, spray your trees with soapy water to keep them away.
How to get lilacs to bloom?
Nursery-bought or organic material enhances lilac blooms, which offer scented memories of Grandma's sachet to your home. Give your lilacs a good start by planting them in well-drained, humus-rich soil. Six hours of sunlight per day is the minimum for healthy growth and maximum flowering.
What pH should I use for lilacs?
Lilacs grow best in soil that has a pH level of 6.0 to 7.5, says the Mississippi State University Extension. Before you plant, dig liberal amounts of compost into the planting site if your soil has an acidic pH.
Why do lilacs need to be fed?
Feeding your lilacs is an act of love that supports their growth and flower production, but like an overprotective mother, too much of a good thing defeats the purpose . In fact, overfeeding your lilacs may result in lush foliage and fewer, if any, flowers.
What zone do lilacs grow in?
Food for Lilac Flowers. The common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 7, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
Is lilac food good for the environment?
Organic Lilac Food. Organic fertilizers are better for the environment because they release nutrients over time. Create your own organic fertilizer by including slow-acting bone meal, fish emulsion, manure or compost. Grass clippings and coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, but use them sparingly in compost.
How to Take Care of Your Lilacs?
- Spring and Autumn are the best seasons to plant lilac bushes. You have to plant bushes at 5 to 15 feet distance from one another, depending on their varieties. They also require full sunlight for a minimum of six hours for strong flowering. Lilacs love humus-rich, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil with a pH nearing 7.0 When nurtured well, it can gr...
5 Best Fertilizers For Your Lilac Bushes
- You now know all about how to care for your precious lilacs. Let’s move on to the products that can aid you with this process. We have curated a list of the top 5 fertilizersfor lilacs. Read on to pick your best fertilizers for lilacs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- You now know the general care tips for growing lilacs as well as the best fertilizers for lilacs. Are you still a little confused about growing lilacs? We bring you the answers to some of the most common questions asked about lilacs. It will help you to tend to your beautiful lilacs in the right way.
Final Thoughts
- Lilacs are truly gorgeous! They will never fail to add a significant charm to your garden or backyards. These lovely plants are very hardy and low-maintenance. They, however, require good care and essential nutrients to bloom well. With our general lilac care tips, you are all set to grow your very own lilacs! Make sure to properly fertilize them by choosing the best fertilizer for lilacs …