I have this large lilac bush and it is full of blooms. My question is if I cut a bunch of the blooms off as we are getting a freeze tonight will this kill the flowers for next year? Evelyn
The way I understand Lilacs is that right after they are done blooming they'll grow their buds for next year. It's ok to cut your blooms now and if you want to prune you should do it right after they bloom. Cutting on it this summer will remove next years buds. I'm always having to prune my Lilac because of where it's planted so I only have blooms towards the top of the bush.
When I bring lilacs or rhododendron inside, I think of it as pruning the bush and cut where it's in need of pruning. Next year's blooming won't be affected.
If flowers are the goal (and, with a lilac, is there really any other purpose?) the most important thing to keep in mind is that they bloom on the previous season's growth. So, if you were to go out and prune them in late autumn or early spring, in an attempt to "clean up" the garden, you'd be cutting off all of the potential blooms. Let the flowers bloom, enjoy their heavenly scent, and then prune away----Prune After Bloom!
trimming lilacs I've always heard that you have about 3 weeks after they bloom to cut them back before they start putting out new growth for next year. That may seem a little stringent, but a good rule to try to follow. (Emphasis on the word TRY!)
Lilacs don't do very good in central Texas very well at all.I love to be in Montana in the Spring as Heather has 7 or 8 huge bushes and the scent in the yard is wonderful.
There is a moscow lilac in our yard with nice blooms and smells wonderful when the wind blows !!! Also a lilac right next a few feet same height has not bloomed as yet.
I have several old-fashioned lilacs - came with the house. definitely a great xeriscape candidate-drought- and pest-resistant. I recently planted the new white french lilac variety. i try to remember to follow the 3-yr. plan i read about years ago. You remove no more than 1/3 of the shrub when pruning each year. Just after blooming,cut out some of the oldest inner branches to the ground -for better circulation and to stimulate shoots for next year. since they bloom on new wood, that makes sense to me. After 3 years of this type of selective pruning, you would have a shrub full of lilacs, almost a whole new shrub. And then you repeat the process. although i don't know why they call it a 3-yr. plan if you repeat it anyway! i started from scratch a few years ago after hubby thought to just cut them down since they were knocking rocks off the rock wall, where inappropriately planted by the previous dwellers.There was nothing left of them. 3 years later....they came back and stronger than ever.
One lady had me cut the dried flowers of the lilac in the month of August. She believed that the lilac looked neater after the dried flowers were gone.
We always cut bunches of lilacs for flower arrangements, my wife insists that this is the proper way to prune them.
I really wish I can grow this here in Benghazi. This tree is not common here, however when I looked it up it looks that it can be grown in my region. Is there any one who can send me some seeds for this beautiful tree?
