We have a Lilac bush/tree in our back yard and when we bought the house 3 yrs ago it was full and beautiful and now it is awful. More than half of it is dead what can we do to save it?

OH and by the way Rich pruned it the first fall we were there and I think he stunted it. Help I love my bush and I want it alive again.

By Emily7 on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 10:00 am:

I love lilacs, but don't have any. I did a search & here is a site on Lilac Care.

By Tonya on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 10:02 am:

I have read everything I can on them but I am hoping someone has some suggestions by the looks of it I am going to have to wait for the blooms to fall off and I am going to prune the heck out of it. There are allot fo dead limps coming up the middle that I am going to get rid of and hope in the spring next year it looks good.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 10:55 am:

Definitely prune the dead wood in the middle. And prune the rest of it AFTER it finishes blooming. One rule about pruning is that you prune within a week or two after a tree/bush finishes blooming. Do it later than that and you are risking pruning off the buds that are being set for blooming next blooming season. So Rick pruning it in the Fall may be part of the problem. It probably wouldn't hurt to feed it, but don't overdo the feeding. Check with your local garden shop or on the web as to what kind of plant food to use.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 10:56 am:

Oops - I take it back. Here is an excerpt from the link Emily gave you:

Another part of lilac care is pruning. Most lilac shrubs will only flower on growth that is three or more years old. This means that too much pruning of a lilac bush will often result in fewer blooms, and in extreme cases, no blooms at all. Pruning of lilac bushes should always be done gradually, over a period of up to three years. This will ensure that the bush will flower during this time.

By Colette on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 12:29 pm:

He probably pruned all of the new flowers off without realizing what they were. There is nothing you can do this year except fertilize it. Lilacs love lime so get some of that for them. They are also pretty hardy so it will probably be ok.

I have tons of lilacs, if you lived closer I'd dig up a bush for you.

By Tonya on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 01:53 pm:

He did this to it 2 yrs ago in the fall and I have been hoping it would come back so I will wait until right after all the blooms are off and prune it right and get rid of the dead stuff in the middle and maybe next year it will come back even better. Last year it had nothing this year it has bloomed and looks way better so maybe if I prune it right next year will be really good. I think that is what sold me on the house when we bought it 3 yrs ago I fell in love with seeing that tree outside of the diningroom window and the smell was awesome.

By Colette on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 01:54 pm:

Make sure you lime it! Lime takes about 6 months to start working so do it now and again in the fall.

By Tonya on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 02:01 pm:

Colette, like lime juice or is lime a fertilizer of some sorts?

By Tonya on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 02:07 pm:

OK not I know it is not juice but where can I find something like that at Home Depot or does it have to be a specialty store of some sorts?

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 02:07 pm:

Lime is a fertilizer. It restores the ph balance (balance between acid and alkaline) of the soil.

By Colette on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 11:14 am:

I get a gardening newsletter emailed to me daily. Yesterdays, was about lilacs, so I cut and copied it for you if you are interested.

and yes, you can get lime at home depot. You just put it in a spreader.

Taming Lilacs


Just one look at this lilac and you can almost smell its intoxicating fragrance.

Syringa vulgaris, to be formal for just a second, is an often sought-after plant for the home landscape. Imagine a plant that is so desirable really only for its flowers. I don't get it. Other than flowering time, most lilacs are poorly cared for, often neglected foundation plants. They become overgrown, unproductive branches with leaves often covered with powdery mildew.

So how do you care for lilacs? A few words about pruning: the time to prune is immediately after flowering. If you prune much later, you'll eliminate next year's flowers.

How about those overgrown monstrosities? It's wise to remove old, unproductive wood over a three-year period of time. Year one: begin by removing one-third of the older wood in late winter; cut off the branches at ground level. Years two and three: repeat this process. By the end of year three, you will see a transformed plant that deserves to be part of the landscape. Keep in mind, it will take a few years for the new wood to produce flowers; be patient for your rewards. Another reason to eliminate old, unproductive wood; it could improve air circulation. And that could reduce problems with powdery mildew.

Once transformed, you'll need to keep up the 'new' image of your lilac. Pruning becomes an enjoyable 'way of life'.

By Tonya on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 12:56 pm:

Thank you Colette. I am determined to bring this thing back to life. I love my bush and like I said he (the bush) sold me the house when I was looking 3 yrs ago. I told Rich the other night when I came home from work after searching the internet on lilacs and talking to you ladies that I forbid him to touch my bush ever again. He just laughed and told me to have at it.