Lilacs are a beautiful addition to the garden, but knowing how to prune lilacs can ensure the shrub stays beautiful and produces its signature, fragrant flowers year after year. Lilacs exude a wonderful scent in the air with their mauve, pink, purple or white flowers. It needs a sunny spot with fertile, humus-rich and well-drained soil and can also be planted in containers. As a deciduous shrub, the trees lose their leaves every fall. The new leaves and flowers then grow the following spring from last year's growth. However, if the tree is not cut back, it will continue to grow and can reach up to 3 m wide and 3 m high. In this case, it blooms only at the ends of the branches, since this is the part of the tree that actively grew the previous year. The remaining branches from previous years become woody.
Should you choose to prune your lilacs, it's fairly easy as long as you remember not to prune too late in the season and don't cut off anything that looks like a future flower bud - these look like two new shoots coming from the trunk.
- Begin pruning after flowering. Remove the dead flowers down to the first pair of leaves below the flower. This promotes flowering next year and keeps the tree in check.
- Removing the dead flowers will immediately rejuvenate your tree, but will also prevent you from accidentally pruning next year's buds, which form after the previous year's flowers have faded.
- Once you've done this, it'll be easier to grasp the overall shape of the tree. Pay attention to the shape, thin out thickets and remove scuffing shoots.
- Remove any offshoots that form on the trunk or base of the tree. In this way, the aesthetic appearance of the tree is maintained and they are prevented from spreading. If the roots of the cuttings are still there, you can repot them and you will have a new plant.
- Alternatively, you can trim the shoots at the base with a pair of strong secateurs or, if they are thicker, with pruning shears, taking care not to cut into the shootsCut the lilac tree yourself, as this can cause damage.
How do you prune an overgrown lilac bush
If your lilacs have been left to their own devices, or perhaps you've inherited a large, unruly tree, you'll be looking for advice on how to prune them if they've gotten too big. SomeLilac varietiescan become very large and overloaded if neglected. To avoid this, you should remove about one in three shoots each winter, concentrating on the older or weaker shoots.
- Wait until late winter when the plant is still dormant but all danger of frost has passed. First, remove any dead, diseased or chafing branches.
- Then turn to the oldest parts of the tree and cut them back to the ground. However, it is important that you do not cut back more than a third of the tree to this height.
- If your tree is very tall, consider removing some of its height. However, keep in mind that your lilac may not bloom that year, but a more aesthetically pleasing and smaller tree is worth it.
- If your tree is particularly large, you should repeat this process every winter or other winter until the tree reaches a more manageable size.
- In addition to this more aggressive pruning, you should also carry out the maintenance pruning steps mentioned above after the flowering period. This will continue the good work of tighter pruning and promote good pruning habits that will help you keep your tree under control.
Cutting lilacs: care pruning
For lilac bushes that have not yet outgrown their space or are still blooming profusely each year, regular pruning may simply consist of removing dead, diseased or broken branches and shaping the plant. You can also remove the spent flowers to promote a cleaner growth habit and appearance. It is always better to do this type of cutting by hand. If possible, cut back to an outward-facing bud. A good pair of hand shears is the perfect tool for this and allows for much better cuts than hedge trimmers.
Should the tree be cut back?
No, lilacs should not be cut back to the ground as they willno longer blooms. The tree is known for its hardiness, but it will take many years before it blooms again if you remove all of the flowering shoots. If it is older and unruly, it may need to be pruned more heavily, but make sure it is no more than a third of the way down the tree.
In which month should you prune?
Lilac bushes should be pruned between April and June, but only after flowering. So if you prune sooner rather than later, you won't affect next year's blooms. The general rule for all lilacs is that they should be pruned immediately after flowering in the spring. Because the tree sets next year's flower buds immediately after the current year's flowers fade, pruning later in the summer or fall will result in many or all of the next year's flowers being cut off. This rule of timing applies to both the larger lilacs and the shorter or shrubby varieties.
