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With age, lilacs tend to become bare and bloom less and less. It regains its old beauty with a vigorous pruning. How to cut the lilac on the stick is in this article.

In a nutshell

  • Lilacs usually form a large number of fragrant flowers
  • Pruning keeps flowering
  • if the shrub is too old, vigorous pruning will help
  • Stock drives out again
  • alternatively, many runners form

Why cut back lilacs?

Lilacs are relatively easy to care for. Even a pruning is not always necessary, especially not a radical one. It is usually enough to remove faded leaves. A heavier cut makes sense under these circumstances:

  • lack of willingness to bloom
  • going bald from the inside
  • unkempt appearance (including root suckers)
  • too dense crown
  • Flowers and shoots too weak and small
  • got too big

tool

The same tools that are used for other pruning measures in the garden are suitable for cutting the lilacs:

  • secateurs
  • pruning saw
  • gloves
  • possibly ladder or folding step

Notice: Cutting tools must always be very sharp and clean. Even better is disinfecting them after each shrub or tree.

time

While a slight pruning takes place after flowering, the radical pruning of lilacs is carried out in early spring. When it sprouts, it immediately begins to form new shoots.

Notice: Do not be afraid of frost damage, the lilac tolerates a lot of cold.

Cutting lilacs on a stick: instructions

  1. It is possible to simply cut the lilac about 30 cm above the ground if it only has one stem. In the case of very large shrubs, however, this is only advisable if you work in pairs.
  2. It is better to cut back lilacs little by little. To do this, thicker branches in particular are shortened from the outside in with the saw. The cut should be set at a slight angle. Rainwater then drains off better.
  3. For single-trunk lilacs, the trunk is shortened to a height of 30-50 cm. All root suckers are also removed, simply pull them out while they are still small.
  4. If the lilac has grown in multiple stems, the weaker shoots are removed close to the ground. The stronger ones are shortened to different heights. The shortest at about 10 cm, the longest at knee height. In the end, depending on the size of the bush, about 5 to 7 shoots should remain.

Alternate option

If you don't want to treat the lilacs so radically right away, you can extend the pruning measures over several years. Then the shrub is only partially cut back every spring. With this variant, the parts of the plant that are not cut flower anyway, so that the flower does not fail completely for several years.

aftercare

Just cutting back is not enough. If no follow-up care is taken afterwards, healthy lilacs will sprout vigorously, including many root suckers, and form a chaos of long shoots that branch out and form a very dense crown. To ensure that the crown makes a light, well-groomed impression, the following tips are helpful:

  • sprout lilacs on the old stick, remove all root shoots
  • if it does not sprout on the old trunk, select a few strong runners and remove the rest
  • Shorten the shoots a little, then branch out better
  • build up a loose crown
  • Always remove weaker shoots at the point of attachment or close to the ground
  • Fertilize lilacs with compost, mulch the root area and water when dry
Freshly planted young plants should be watered sufficiently. In addition, the lilac needs additional watering, especially during budding and flowering.

frequently asked Questions

Do the pruning instructions apply to all lilacs?

Noble lilacs in particular, which like to form numerous runners and grow very large, benefit from a strong pruning. But you can also cut dwarf lilac on the stick.

Do the resulting wounds need to be treated?

If the wound has clean edges and has been cut at a slight angle, no further treatment is necessary. She'll heal on her own. If the lilac is to sprout again from a spur, the old remnants of the vine can be removed at some point.

When will the lilacs bloom again?

This can take quite a while. The first flowers can appear again after about two years. There is only a really big flower again when the new crown has built up.

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Category:

Garden plants