Caring for your Lilac
What kind of TLC do you need for your lilac trees & bushes? Love you lilac with our tips below!
Lilacs are amazing bloomers and do they ever attract the pollinators! You'll love the scent of these trees and shrubs, adding a light perfume to your garden. Plant your new lilacs in the fall, before the ground freezes, to give it time to get settles before the next spring. Keep your lilacs in pots if you want them to remain small or to stay on your patio or balcony!
Light Conditions for Your Lilac Tree & Bush
Lilac trees and bushes love sun; the more the better! Give your lilac full sun for at least 6 hours a day. Any less than that and your lilac will have few blooms, if any.
Watering Your Lilac
When you have a young lilac, make sure to water it weekly in the summer months. Once it is matured and the roots are established, it will rarely need watering, unless there is extreme heat or drought. Make sure the roots don't sit in water or soggy soil because that can lead to rotting and other diseases.
Find the Best Soil for Your Lilac
Lilacs don't like to sit in puddles of water or soggy soil, which means a well-draining soil is best. If you think your garden or yard has clay-rich soil then add sand to the soil around your lilac before planting it. (Find out more about amending your soil in our helpful blog post here.)
Find an area of your garden or yard with rich, neutral or alkaline, soil. Adding compost is a great idea when planting your lilac, they love the nutrients and it also helps to condition the soil.
You can also fertilize your lilac with a balanced fertilizer in the fall, making sure it isn't high in nitrogen to stop your plant from blooming! Manure and compost are well-loved by these plants as well, so top up the soil in the spring.
Quick tip: Mulch around your lilac, especially in early spring, to keep the weeds and other competing plants away from it. This will help it to grow, get enough nutrients, and also help you avoid weeding. Enjoy your lilac!