The lilac bush is in front of the main window of my house and I love it..but with the snow coming soon I am concerned about it. I wish to cut it back but want to make sure it will bloom again in the spring.
2007-10-05 02:30:17 · 11 answers · asked by Tanya G 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Don't cut it back now.
New shoots won't come up if they are pruned at the wrong time & you'll be cutting off next years flower buds. Usually, maintenance pruning should be done immediately after the flowers have died off before new buds begin to develop. Remove the dried-up flowers with your clippers. This will keep the plant from growing seeds and encourage creation of next year’s buds. Trim branches to shape so that air can circulate & to remove criss-crossing or spindly branches.
If your bush has a lot of old wood & is way overgrown, you can do some hard pruning in late winter ...March or early April... to induce shoots to develop during the growing season. Here's a three-year plan for pruning overgrown shrubs:
"cut back the overgrown shrubs over a three-year period. Begin the procedure by removing one-third of the large, OLD stems at ground level in late winter. The following year (again in late winter), prune out one-half of the remaining old stems. Also, thin out some of the new growth. Retain several well-spaced, vigorous stems and remove all the others. Finally, remove all of the remaining old wood in late winter of the third year. Additional thinning of the new shoots should also be done. Since lilac wood needs to be 3 or more years of age before it blooms, this pruning method should allow you to enjoy flowers every spring. This is my usual mode of rejuvenation pruning lilacs."
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03/pruning.html
2007-10-05 03:29:44 · answer #1 · answered by ANGEL 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pruning Lilac Trees
2016-11-16 07:18:03 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You needed to prune it back right after the bloom, so you give Lilac bush some time to grow the new flowring buds for next spring. If you cut back now, you might lose flowering buds for next season and you won't see them bloom. You should wait until next spring time and do it right after the flowering.
2007-10-05 08:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by Cosmos 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No flowering trees or bushes should only be cut after they are through blooming I am sure they have already set buds for the next year by now. do not cut back now!
2007-10-05 02:48:40 · answer #4 · answered by coot 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You should google it to be sure, but if I remember right, Lilacs should be pruned in the spring. If you prune it now your going to cut off all the growth and that is what will produce flowers next year. Pruning should be done in the spring, thats my answer. :)
2007-10-05 02:37:38 · answer #5 · answered by just4me 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I am cutting all of mine back now too. I don't know where you live, but, it should not make a difference. In NM, OR, OK and MS I always cut back my flowering trees in the early fall. Then FEED it really good and you WILL have blooms in the spring! Have fun.
2007-10-05 02:40:52 · answer #6 · answered by gypsyearthorse 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If it is a tree and not a bush you should cut the shoots off the bottom and that will help it grow bigger and stronger with more blossoms the next year.
2007-10-05 04:13:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can only cut a maximum 20% of your lilac bush per year.
2007-10-05 02:41:22 · answer #8 · answered by Krysia K 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you should only cut back the previous blooms..if you cut it back too much it will not bloom next year
2007-10-05 03:09:09 · answer #9 · answered by Knome Lover 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No cause if u cut it down now then in the summer the sun going to be in ur house and ur house is going to be hot
2007-10-05 02:35:17 · answer #10 · answered by LipStickJunkie 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋