Common lilac(Syringa vulgaris), commonly known as lilac, is a shrub growing up to 4 meters high with beautiful and strongly fragrant flowers. Although it can grow completely wild, more abundant, lush flowering can be obtained by performinglilac cutting every yearIt is not difficult as long as we follow a few simple rules. Seehow and when to prune withoutso that it grows he althy and impresses with its flowers!
How and when to trim without?
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When to trim without?
The main thing is to choose the rightdate for cutting lilacWell, no spring blooms from the buds tied in the previous year. By trimming it before flowering, we will remove the flower buds and the plant will not bloom. Therefore,do not prune until after floweringCommon lilac blooms in May, and its pruning date is usually in June.
If our lilac is a very young plant , recently planted and not yet blooming, we do not need to prune it. In such young plants, it is enough to cut twigs that froze, broke or intersect with each other in the spring, making the bush excessively dense. Common lilac usually takes several years to reach adulthood and bloom profusely for the first time.We start pruning more lilacs every year
How to trim faded lilac flowers
The basic procedure for trimming lilacs is cutting faded inflorescences, which should be done immediately, as soon as the plant has faded. Cut the lilac inflorescences with a piece of stem , preferably 1 cm above the place where a pair of young buds grows or above the place where a young side shoot grows (it will bloom next year).
How to trim without
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Trimming faded inflorescences should not be delayed , as they unnecessarily weaken the bush. Correct performance of this activity will help the plant to establish new flower buds and will make it bloom more abundantly in a year without any more.Make each cut carefullywith a secateurs, trimming individual twigs exactly where indicated in the previous paragraph.
Cutting lilac roots
Our annual duties also include the annual removal of root suckers appearing under the lilac. Cutting them with a pruner close to the ground, unfortunately, causes that new branches immediately break out of the fragment remaining under the ground.That is whylilac suckers are best pulled out by handwhen they are approx. 30 cm high.
Old lilac rejuvenation cut
Old, feral andpoorly flowering lilac bushes require rejuvenating pruningFor this purpose, in early spring, 1-2 oldest shoots are cut every year in their place to replace them twigs. Also, too long branches are removed from the shrub's crown, which intersect with others or excessively thicken the bush, limiting the access of light to the lower branches. Suchgradual rejuvenation of the lilac bushwill make it look better and bloom all the time.
A less recommended method isradical rejuvenating cutting old lilac , which involves trimming all the shoots at a height of 70 cm. This treatment is performed immediately after flowering. Thanks to this, we will quickly rejuvenate the bush without having to decide which branches to cut in a given year, but for the next 3-4 years after such treatment, the lilac may not bloom.
How to become confident in pruning plants?
If you are unsure how to cut or simply afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School" will help you. Thanks to it, you will gain confidence in pruning plants and learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
