I got my first lilacs!

[my_secret_garden]

Two of them. "Miss Kim" Lilacs. The are supposed to be a small variety so I planted them in my front yard a bit away from the sidewalks, in a sunny spot. I have never had lilacs before so I could use some advice on caring for them. Can I put wood mulch around them? How do I know when to prune them back?

Thanks.

[grandpasrose]

Yes, you can put wood mulch around them. "Miss Kim" lilacs normally bloom a little later than the traditional old fashioned lilacs everyone is used to. The best time to prune a lilac is right after it is finished blooming, and make sure it is before it small nubs form for next years flowers. If you prune too late, and cut these small nubs off, you won't have any flowers next year. Also lilacs like soil with a PH that is close to neutral or a little on the alkaline side, between 6.6 and 7.8. If the soil is too acidic, they will not bloom for you.

Enjoy them - they have an amazing fragrance!

Val

[Newt]

Hi Secret Garden,

Good advise from Rose. Here's some handy sites. They also explain how you can add lime to the soil in case you have acid soil so they'll bloom better.
http://spi.8m.com/care.htm
http://www.heardgardens.com/basicsforlilacs.htm
http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac/lilac02.htm
http://gardencenter.southernstates.com/ ... tree.shtml

Newt