lilac pruning

[Dean]

I have two lilac bushes in the sunny back yard of the home I just bought in central illinois. they appear not to have been pruned or maintained in any way for years. I was pleasantly surprised to seem them bloom this spring, despite their general poor condition. there are two distinct plants, each a few feet around about three feet apart. they are woody and stunted-less than three feet t all. they are overgrown with weedy grass. how should I go about bringing them back to good health so they can grow and expand. my long-term goal with them is to let them be the border between my yard and my neighbors. there is about a 30 ft strip adjoining our backyards and I would love to see it filled with healthy blooming lilacs.

generally the soil in my backyard is good, and I have a healthy thriving lawn and the other plants in the yard are doing well. the soil is somewhat clayey, but easy to dig in and work in.

thanks

dean

[The Helpful Gardener]

Clear the grass (that's the stunting) and then follow the instructions for pruning mature lilacs on the website. Let us know how it turns out...

Scott

[Guest]

I got all the grass cleared out, pulled out all the deadwood, and put down a good layer of mulch. they look much better already. I will prune here in a week or two after the blooms are gone. thanks a bunch

[The Helpful Gardener]

Plenty of water and a good feed and you should be on your way to better lilacs...