A bright lilac in the garden is a beautiful sight and in many gardens it has been in bloom for several decades. Syringa hardly needs any care, blooms anew every year and is a faithful companion. But sometimes even the most experienced hobby gardener is unlucky and suddenly the leaves turn yellow and the flowers look puny. There are several reasons why these symptoms can occur.
Yellow leaves on the lilac
causes
Reasons when the leaves turn yellow on the lilac tree
First of all, it is a shock when yellow leaves suddenly appear on the lilac tree. However, before panic breaks out, research into the causes is recommended. If you fertilize in the belief that you are doing something good for the plant, this can have fatal consequences.
The following causes can be considered:
- the wrong location
- lack of nutrients
- waterlogging
Bow lilac, Syringa reflexa
Wrong location
Lilacs need sun, otherwise they will not feel well and will not bloom in full splendor. When flowering dwindles and yellow foliage appears instead, the location should be inspected.
If the place is too dark, only a move to a brighter place can help. With lilacs in the tub, this is usually done quickly. However, if the plant is in the bed, it must be carefully and carefully dug up and then transplanted.
nutrient deficiency
If yellow foliage shows, a lack of nutrients may be a trigger. If the plant is in soil with little nutrients, the leaves can turn yellow. If the foliage is very light, but the veins appear dark, there is one chlorosis before. This can only be treated by adding an iron fertilizer to the irrigation water.
Before adding nutrients in the form of fertilizer, other causes should be ruled out. If the lilac tree is in the shade but has enough nutrients, fertilization can also lead to symptoms.
waterlogging
The lilac likes it dry, waterlogging is a death sentence. Precautions must be taken to prevent rainwater and irrigation water from being dammed up and leading to root rot.
If the water in the bed cannot drain away, one must drainage be placed. Drainage with expanded clay or clay rock is also recommended and advisable for potted plants.
Hanging leaves on lilac
This often happens, especially with newly planted specimens. There is no need to panic here, the plant will recover quite quickly.
causes
relocation
The cause here is often stress, because the lilac can sometimes react sensitively to a move or a change of location. Especially when very old trees are dug up and moved, marginal injuries can occur in the root area. Syringa reacts sensitively to this and sometimes leaves the foliage hanging.
To prevent this from happening in the first place, the following measures can help when repotting:
- sufficiently large planting hole or sufficiently large pot is helpful
- on the day of planting it should be dry and warm
- Avoid damaging roots if possible
- old, clinging soil should be left on the rootstock
- if it is cool outside, slightly warm the substrate
- neutral substrate is best for Syringa, not a nutritious one
- after transplanting, lilac trees need a lot of water
lack of water or waterlogging
When there is a long dry spell, water shortage is a common problem. Watering has proven to be the number one measure here. However, you must ensure that the water can drain away and that the opposite, waterlogging, does not occur. Because waterlogging occurs particularly in heavy substrate, lilac trees are best helped in this case by moving to lighter soil.
root rot
Root rot, which is usually caused by fungi, can only be combated with immediate countermeasures. A strong pruning is also an option, as is moving to another location with better soil.
Wrong location
If the soil is too loamy, the roots of the lilac cannot spread and the plant hardly gets any water. If too little light falls on the plant, this can also lead to growth disorders.
A move to a new location or drainage can easily remedy the situation. Careful soil improvement has also proven helpful in many cases.