Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I moved in my house 2 yrs ago. Our first spring I was surprised to find that 3 very large shrubs were actually lilac bushes (obviously Im not a great gardener). They bloomed and the fragrance filled the house. Then I decided to trim them with a hedge trimmer. They did not bloom much the following spring. I was told I kind of ruined the blooms by trimming them like bushes when they are not.
I love the lilacs but the problem is they are huge. I have two next to the patio that have become one. It is over 12 feet high and 5 feet deep. The other lilac bush was about 10 feet high and 5 feet deep. Again very large. The one is on the corner of the house and basically buried my A/C unit so that is why I trimmed it every year. But this year its even bigger and completely took over the sidewalk that runs around the back of the house. The bush is in a landscape bed but the growth of the plant hangs over the sidewalk completely.
So anyway....I read on several garden forums that it needs to be cut way back to about 2-3 feet in height and the same in diameter. It stated to wait till it was done blooming and cut it back. Now its just a brown stick bush. It trunk seems healthy but no longer has green leaves on it. Its just a stick bush now. Then I found another forum that says not to do this till late winter. UGH. So did I kill it? Some say its almost impossible to kill a lilac. I need to cut back the one by the patio (which is actually 2 grown together) and over taking the patio. So I whack this one or wait? Will it develop leaves again over the summer or is it just sticks now?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,576 posts, read 81,186,228 times
Reputation: 57813
You can cut a lilac down to one 12" long trunk with no branches and it will
put out all new growth and be blooming gain within 1-2 years. This should be done in winter so that spring triggers the new growth. Doing it later is more risky but you still may get some growth before winter. Since blooms are on the previous year's growth, you would normally prune by shortening 1/3 of the branches each winter until the desired height is achieved, so that the
other 2/3 still bloom. This one I chopped to a single trunk in January and I do not expect blooms until next year.
You can cut a lilac down to one 12" long trunk with no branches and it will
put out all new growth and be blooming gain within 1-2 years. This should be done in winter so that spring triggers the new growth. Doing it later is more risky but you still may get some growth before winter. Since blooms are on the previous year's growth, you would normally prune by shortening 1/3 of the branches each winter until the desired height is achieved, so that the
other 2/3 still bloom. This one I chopped to a single trunk in January and I do not expect blooms until next year.
Ugh...I guess I should have read more about them. We had a brutal winter and the weather has been odd since. I will wait before I trim the other two. I guess I will see what happens with the one I hacked.
Ugh...I guess I should have read more about them. We had a brutal winter and the weather has been odd since. I will wait before I trim the other two. I guess I will see what happens with the one I hacked.
I did something similar when I moved into my house. We had a nice Lilac bush beside our garage and it was rubbing against our car when we pulled out. I hacked it and made it look ugly. This was towards the end of summer tho.
It came back where I hacked it and bloomed brilliantly. They are very resilient. So do not worry!!
Ugh...I guess I should have read more about them. We had a brutal winter and the weather has been odd since. I will wait before I trim the other two. I guess I will see what happens with the one I hacked.
If you decide to trim your other lilacs, may I suggest pruning shears instead of a power hedge trimmer? Your bushes will thank you.
I would suggest a good pruning saw, you need good clean cuts to reduce the risk of disease getting in.
Something such as Arbrex, or whatever you have over there to seal the large wounds, would be good also.
You can cut a lilac down to one 12" long trunk with no branches and it will
put out all new growth and be blooming gain within 1-2 years. This should be done in winter so that spring triggers the new growth. Doing it later is more risky but you still may get some growth before winter. Since blooms are on the previous year's growth, you would normally prune by shortening 1/3 of the branches each winter until the desired height is achieved, so that the
other 2/3 still bloom. This one I chopped to a single trunk in January and I do not expect blooms until next year.
bisjoe, that is much too close to your foundation.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Then I decided to trim them with a hedge trimmer. They did not bloom much the following spring. I was told I kind of ruined the blooms by trimming them like bushes when they are not. 
So did I kill it? Some say its almost impossible to kill a lilac. I need to cut back the one by the patio (which is actually 2 grown together) and over taking the patio. So I whack this one or wait? Will it develop leaves again over the summer or is it just sticks now?
