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aaradyn
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Wilting Lilacs

Ok, so we have two lilacs- one in the front yard which is a pink mid year bloom and one in the back which is a dark purple spring bloom.

They're both wilting. The stems are strong, the trunk is strong but the leaves are droopy. They haven't fallen but they're not happy.

Is this too much water? I live north of Boston and we've been getting a lot of rain, so short of wrapping them in plastic like a cast you can't get wet I don't know what to do. They get similar light during the day so I don't know if this is a sun problem or not.

Help!!! (please :) I don't want them to die...)
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Front yard
Front yard
Close up
Close up
Back yard
Back yard

luis_pr
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Yes, that can cause wilting just as you see when they do not get enough moisture. Lilcas like well draining soil and the soil may be staying wet for too long of a period. In the case of getting too much water, the lilac tree's roots are not able to absorb enough oxygen and the leaves wilt.

To help alleviate this, try something unusual: do not water and remove the mulch to allow the moisture to escape more easily. Then use the finger method to determine when to add the mulch back and resume regular waterings: insert a finger to a depth of 4" and water then soil feels dry or almost dry.

If you ALSO notice these symptoms listed next, check for verticillium wilt: small yellow leaves, leaf browning, slow/stunted growth and dieback

If you ALSO notice these symptoms listed next, check for bacterial blight: black areas on the foliage and blossoms.

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aaradyn
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Thanks :) I'll pull the mulch away in the morning. I think I'll trim the blooms from the one in the back too, I read an article that said it could stress the plant more.

My other thought is that this is transplant shock- they only went in the ground about 2 weeks ago.

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aaradyn
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Pulled the mulch back and despite the continuing rain they look a ton better!! The leaves are perky and lively green, the bud stalks look perky and healthy too. So happy- thanks guys!!

luis_pr
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Awesome! :-()

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aaradyn
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They're blooming!!!!!!! :D
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The mid bloomer, in the front yard- the one I was most worried about. :)
The mid bloomer, in the front yard- the one I was most worried about. :)

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rainbowgardener
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Pulling the mulch back to allow more evaporation of water out of the soil may well have helped. But I'm guessing you were right about transplant shock and they may well have recovered anyway. But glad they perked up! :)

luis_pr
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I was just thinking of lilacs todays. I told my mother that our Crape Myrtle blooms, which are scentless, should be hybridized to have some scent like lilacs.

Zoinks
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I went through a similar problem with a 25 foot 20 year old white Lilac. One year it bloomed spectacularly. The next it was droopy and did not bloom. It had good drainage and wasn't heavily mulched. The next year droopy again, no flowers again. I was using mulch, ash, there were no pests or deceases. Finally on the advice of a Lilac grower I met at a plant sale, I cut the plant back by one third, both in trunks and size. Again the next year it didn't bloom, but I'd pruned it at the wrong time (I knew it but sacrificed bloom for health).

Finally this year it is taller, full of foliage and covered with buds. Whew.

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rainbowgardener
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Do you know to deadhead your lilacs? Once the blooms are spent, but before they set seed, trim all the blossoms off. If you do not do this and allow it to set seed, it is likely to bloom very sparsely the next year (but not to be wilty/ droopy, that is something else). Lilac seeds are big and heavy (relative to other kinds of seeds) and don't have any transport mechanism. So they tend not to fall far from the tree. So the alternating years is an adaptation, to keep this year's seedlings from competing so much with last year's.

valley
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I agree with that. Lilacs like what lilacs like. Well drained soil, Alkaline. They can go for a long time without water and appreciate
water when it does come. These were without regular water for years, when it came they said " Oh, that feels good.

Again they Love Alkaline soil and water.

Richard
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aaradyn
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Deadheading I get, but taking a chainsaw and lopping off the top 6"? I don't think that's a great idea.

It's obviously in too wet a spot, and it might be dead now, but I'm moving it to the opposite side of the yard, where the drainage is better. We'll see how it does there.

The one in the back is doing great though!! :)

tomc
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aaradyn wrote:Deadheading I get, but taking a chainsaw and lopping off the top 6"? I don't think that's a great idea.

More sun, less mulch. because lilac is multi-stemmed, some people prune out 1/3 (like down to the ground) of the trunks every year.

A handful of oyster shell make a good amendment.



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