jfinner1
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My Lilac bush needs help... Advice?

Pictures speak louder then words...

[img]https://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee136/jfinner1/Garden/P1013865.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee136/jfinner1/Garden/P1013866.jpg[/img]

It's just starting to bud, no flowers yet. There's at least one of the big branches that I think is completely dead, maybe two, but it's hard to tell yet. I really have no clue about lilacs, but I love this bush and I'd like to save it... But it doesn't look too great right now. What should I do? [/img]

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rainbowgardener
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I responded to this in your introductory post... check there.

jfinner1
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Don't touch the lilac now, just wait until it blooms. That way you can enjoy what ever blooms it does produce and you will be much more able to see what is dead and what isn't. Then cut out all the dead stuff, cut off all the spent blooms so they don't go to seed. Cut off branches that are crossing and rubbing each other. Cut off at least most of the more horizontal branches that are growing in towards the center. You want to open up the center so that light/air/water get to the ground and all the parts of the plant. Then take a saw and cut off a couple of the biggest, oldest stems at ground level. Every year repeat this and pretty soon it will have been all rejuvenated.
Ok, it has bloomed,and there are two of the big branches that are entirely dead, from the ground all the way up. So those I should cut off at ground level, right? The rest of the dead stuff is just pieces and parts. Is there any particular place that I should cut the dead stuff off? As in, should I cut at a split or a joint or something?

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rainbowgardener
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It's good advice you quoted. Any stem that is partly dead, I would just cut off at ground level, as long as you aren't cutting down more than about a third of the plant.

jfinner1
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Lol, I was quoting you, so yeah, good advice. :D Um, if I cut off every branch that was partially dead, I'd be cutting down the whole bush. Literally. This poor old thing is riddle with dead bits. I've cut off some of the small dead branches. Most of them just snapped off when I touched them, they were that dried out. I'll see if I can get some pictures tomorrow, though they'll be camera phone pics, since I don't have a camera. Still, maybe I can edit them to highlight the dead parts to give you a better idea of what I'm trying to work with. Thank you Rainbowgardener, you've been very helpful!

jfinner1
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Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:30 am
Location: Akron, Ohio

Sorry for the double post, but I figure I would just ask in this thread rather then starting a new one.

I would like to start a new bush somewhere else in my yard, so if this one dies, I'll still have lilacs. I read that mid June (now, lol) is the best time to try and root a lilac cutting. Is this correct? Can you tell me, or point me to some good reading on the best way to get a cutting, root it, plant it, the whole nine? I've never started a plant from a cutting before, so I'm not sure where to even begin.

Thanks again!



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