Lilacs www.floweringshrubfarm.com/lilacs.htm (click this link if some pictures dont open). Pictures added from my picture-newsletter frequently. Caption for each picture is in red. Links at bottom.
I grow plants that are easy to grow in pots at my 5 acre micro-nursery in zone 5 Voorheesville, NY. I collect noteworthy plants and propagate them from cuttings.
Demand for lilacs in my area revolves around those that are fragrant and those with purple flowers so I am growing at least 14 varieties of lilacs that have purple, red- purple, magenta or similar colored flowers. Many are fragrant. I also grow several with other colors that stand out from the rest.
2004 Crop of 'Andenken an Ludwig Spaeth' (ludwigspaeth051707_0115large.jpg). Click picture for a larger image. I try to have a new picture of each crop during flowering time each year. They are not for sale until they flower.
We have quite a few 'Ludwig Spaeth' available right now as we took those shown above and transplanted them into 7 gallon for $30 each, and 15 gallon for $50 each. We'll transplant a few 'Krasavitsa moskvy' and some 'Edward Gardner' into 7's and 15's in March of 2010. A large number of 'Monge' are approaching flowering but have not yet, maybe this next year. Pictures of the entire crop, similar to the above will be shown here and when you see them in bloom they'll probably be available the following year. Check what bloomed last year in the May newsletter at http://www.floweringshrubfarm.com/garden.htm
We removed the rooted cuttings of Lilacs 'Paul Thirion' & 'Rochester' from the table and placed them underneath in contact with the ground (01021lilacbabies102109.jpg). These are rooted cuttings that will be transplanted to the field next year.
How do you get rid of a lilac?
The best way is to cut it to the ground in late spring, summer or fall. Then prepare the spot so you can mow it for the next several years at least.
Once it flowers each plant is labeled with a yellow, individually numbered, inventory label. As pictures are taken, they will be saved in the web site using that number.
This 'Edward J Gardner' French lilac picture is saved as 11318edwardgardner051409. 051409 is the date the picture was taken.
On the left is 'Monge' and on the right is 'Aucubaefolia' (00510rowofaucubaefolia051009.jpg). I try to show each crop of lilacs in its row each month in the newsletter. Click picture for a larger image.
We are labeling those in flower with inventory labels and taking closeup pictures of the flower, then saving the picture using the inventory number. This picture of a row of 'Edward J Gardner' Lilacs was saved using the date the picture was taken (00510rowofejgardner051009.jpg). Click picture for a larger image.
In March of 2009 we emptied the row on the left that was formerly occupied with a hundred 'Ludwig Spaeth' Lilacs (00510rowsoflilacsempty051009.jpg). We'll probably place 50 'Paul Thirion' and 50 'Rochester' here in May of 2010 that are currently in small pots under table but will be transplanted into 3 gallon next spring. Click picture for a larger image.
In front of the house at 40 Voorheesville Ave where we have our plant sale (00005frontofhouse050809). Note the 'Ludwig Spaeth' Lilacs that had been transplanted from the field during the previous March.
Best time to prune or transplant a lilac?
If you dont need flowers this year the best time to prune is late winter to early spring. I grow quite a few lilacs and every spring, as soon as the soil can be worked (before they leaf out) I transplant 10 or so of each crop we have growing that flowered in the previous year, into 7 gallon pots. At the same time, lilacs we see that have fewer than 3 stems are cut back to the ground and fertilized with dehydrated manure. They will grow again to flower with many more upright stems within 3 years. All the plants we grow (Old Roses, Lilacs, Native Azalea and Rhododendrons), produce much more growth if you cut off this years flowers. If you leave the flowers growth rates may be reduced. So grow many lilacs in groups by color, pruning one back to the ground every once in a while.
On plants you plan to let flower remove the largest stems (more than 2 or 3 inches in diameter) to the ground training younger suckering stems to replace them. Usually these lilacs have more than 30 stems but several of them are large. I remove just the large ones to the ground and fertilize with a mulch of composted manure.
The following pictures show several lilacs I cut back on August 9, 2009. Each one was fertilized with generous amounts of dehydrated manure at the time they were cut back. Pictures taken since then give you an idea of the growth you can expect on a similar variety remembering that some grow more vigorously than others. Note the pink label showing the date it was cut back on one side and the fact that it was cut back on the other side.
August 16, 2009 (11151prunedto12inch081609.jpg).
September 4, 2009 (00000lilacprunedtotwelve090409.jpg).
October 2, 2009 (11151prunedto12inch100209.jpg).
lilac+inches+year+grow or how fast a lilac will grow.
Syringa vulgaris in a fertile well drained soil, full sun and adequate moisture can easily grow a couple feet per year if the seed pods are removed. If the seed pods are not removed it has been my experience that our lilacs will display only three or four inches of tip growth.
Planting a lilac hedge.
Planting a hedge of lilacs in Watervliet on September 26, 2009 (00009plantinglilachedge092609.jpg). If you click this picture you see the trench around 3/4 the depth of the lilac root balls. If the trench was to deep we could reduce the depth by filling part way under each root ball with gravel. If the trench didn't drain properly we could dig trenches toward the sidewalk from the main trench ending in a french drain (which is a large hole several feet deep, filled with gravel that will draw excess water away from the main trench). In this case the lilacs are seperated by almost 3 feet and the area between each plant is filled with compost, then topped with a couple inches of top soil. As the soil sinks it will be filled with successive layers of compost and top soil. Each year a mulch of compost will be applied in spring.
Below are shown a few of the crops of lilacs I am growing.
This is 'Monge' (00010upperfieldmonge100109.jpg). Maybe it will flower in 2010 check it in May. When these plants are quite small I try to prune them so they'll be well branched once they mature. When I've been unsuccessful I'll cut them back but the flower picture of the plant (which might not flower again for a couple years) will remain on the web site.
Top row in upper field has 'Krasavitsa moskvy' (00010upperfieldtoprow100109.jpg). Some of these will be cut back and remain in the field as they flower (after the flower picture is recorded). Some are already well branched. I use this vigorous, double, extremely fragrant lilac between lilacs with different colors or to contrast with 'Primrose' in either foreground or background because a stark white will help show the yellow shade in a chalk white.
My best advice to a lilac buyer is "Buyer Beware!" only buy them in bloom.
Lilacs bloomed locally in 2003 as follows;
S. vulgaris: began May 12 and then went for 4 weeks due to a cool spring.
S. microphyla superba: began May 25
S. meyeri and S. prestoniae: began May 29
Syringa prestoniae usually blooms til mid June and then produces one or two flowers in August or September.
S. prestoniae 'Miss Canada'.
The oldest Lilacs in America today were probably planted by Jesuit missionaries in or around the 1650's.
Lilacs have been classified by 7 classes of color.
White, Lavender (original color of S. vulgaris), Blue, Violet, Pink, Magenta and Purple.
Normal length of bloom if you are growing all the species in one garden is about 4 to 6 weeks unless affected by undue warmth prior to flowering. I like to grow Lilacs, Old Roses and Disease Resistant Modern Roses together in one garden. Something is always in bloom. I dont remove the faded flowers on the recurrent blooming roses until mid summer (and then I remove the hips with a 12 inch hedge pruner). The recurrent blooming roses respond by coming back into bloom in August and September all together.
The longest blooming species is Syringa vulgaris or S. vulgaris, particular varieties of which may be classed for bloom time early, midseason or late.
S. vulgaris is also known for its strong and pleasing scent although not all varieties are scented.
The chinese Lilacs are strongly scented although usually with a cinnamon blend.
S. vulgaris is a native of the Balkans, Yugoslavia, Serbia and Southeastern Europe.
Only purple and white forms were known before 1800.
It is only recently that lilac flowers have possessed 'substance', in other words a resistance to fading.
From 1878 to 1950 Victor Lemoine studiously worked on the hybridization of Lilacs.
'Azurea plena' (a double) was used by him as the basis of his breeding program.
Together Mr and Mrs. Lemoine and their son produced a large number of double flowered lilacs that to this day are referred to as French Lilacs.
French Lilac (see the double flowers?) 'President Poincaire'
In 1909 Frank Meyer found in chinese gardens a Lilac that has never been found in the wild.
It was named S. meyeri. Its mature height is 5 feet with upright branches.
If the season is favorable S. meyeri has been seen to bloom again in early Autumn.
The veins of the leaves paralleling the margins can help tell it apart from the other dwarf species.
In 1915 he found S. laciniata in Gansu, China (the Persian Lilac is thought to be a hybrid of S. laciniata).
At maturity the Persian Lilac is 12 feet tall bearing both full and cut leaves on the same stem.
The flowers are borne in many small pale lavender clusters all along the branches.
In 1895 S. patula was found near Seoul, Korea.
Later in 1947 Professor Meader collected seed of S. patula in the Pouk Han Mountains in Korea which became 'Miss Kim'.
'Miss Kim' has dark green leaves with wavy margins, mildew resistant, burgundy Autumn color, blooming after S. prestoniae 'James Macfarlane'.
The original Miss Kim now more than 30 years old is 10 feet high and 15 feet wide and can be found at the University of New Hampshire.
In 1896 S. microphylla was found in Shaanxi Sheng (Shensi Province), China.
In Gansu Province it was called Tze ki ting siang or the four season lilac because it was said to flower all year although it actually blooms in spring with intermittent blooms all summer only in extremely favorable conditions. Grows slowly to 8 feet.
In 1901 a plant hunter noted that S. reflexa had 12 inch long , erect, nodding or hanging down clusters of flowers inhabiting the mountains of Hupeh in central China. The buds were bright red opening to rose colored flowers in June. It grew 8-12 feet tall and had lance shaped leaves. It seemed to prefer well drained, gravely loam.
Forests of S. villosa were seen by a Russian botanist while traveling to Beijing through Mongolia. Natives called it Ting hiang or "the fragrance of cloves". It had pink flowers and grew to 12 feet tall and wide. A hedge of S. villosa grown since 1911 in Ottawa, Canada was noted in 1927 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. In a smaller garden this would be absurd but could be used trained as a tree to 4 or 5 stems with the lower side branches removed.
In 1920 S. villosa was crossed with S reflexa in Ottawa, Canada to produce the Preston Hybrids. Blooming a week after S. vulgaris they are almost tree size and pink flowering. They often bloom when quite young and so might be considered for being in a pot on the patio when only 2 or 3 feet tall. Pruned to 3 or 5 trunks and having removed small lower branches they form a very nice low spreading tree. My choices are 'James Macfarlane' and 'Miss Canada'.
The top roots of lilacs known as the feeding roots are more important in transplanting than the larger anchoring roots.
At Azalea House we start transplanting Lilacs into 5 and 7 gallon pots as soon as the soil can be worked (usually March and April). Its important to transplant before they leaf out or your likely to lose this years flowers.
Cold winds have been known to damage the flower buds of Lilacs.
Plants mulched with straw in a gravel sand bed and watered regularly can produce fantastic root growth. I transplant lilacs grown into quart or gallon pots to a 3 gallon pot of sand under drip line. After two years of growing among the weeds I transplant into 7 gallon pots for sale at our plant sale.
For a shrub prune by removing only the oldest canes to the ground leaving the plant to renew itself with strong young canes every 4 years. I remove the oldest stem to the ground every year ( one only).
Sunlight, drainage, pruning, mulch, a couple handfuls of ground limestone every 3rd year and your lilac should do great.
Lilac Blight is probably the most serious disease a Lilac can get. It is not very common in the eastern US and Canada. New foliage is seen to turn brown and wilt. Prune out stems to provide better circulation of air through the plant. Sterilize pruning tools with bleach. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers. Apply a 2-2-50 Bordeaux mixture. Burn affected parts that have been removed. Lilac should be fine the following year. I usually see this only in areas where there hasn't been enough sun combined with overcrowding. Lilacs are forgiving plants and may be crowded in areas with enough sun.
Mildew will not harm your Lilac (though it will reduce the growth rate) but if you wish to be rid of it 3 pounds of wettable sulpher to 100 gallons of water applied at 3 week intervals.
Scale is the worst insect pest of Lilacs. Scale is constantly being introduced into gardens either windblown or on birds so it s important to watch for it. The insect lives under a shell that looks very much like an oyster shell. Infestations often occur when plantings are neglected or after the addition of fresh cow manure. So remove weeds, add mulch and fertilize only with well rotted and composted manure. In the past Diazinon, Malathion and Ethion in Oil has been used in late May. If large infestations occur (cottony mass) lilac canes may be removed to the ground and burned. Clean up the area well. Your Lilac will regrow and flower after several years. We allow the weeds to grow but drive through the area when mowing on a tractor. When I see evidence of insect pests I either remove the insect by hand or cut out the affected stems and burn them. When we move them to the plant sale I spray them with organic insecticides.
Lilac borers tunnel under the bark and into the wood, girdling stems and causing leaves to wilt. The white caterpiller is about 3/4 of an inch long. A clear winged moth emerging in spring lays its eggs on wounded places in the bark. At Azalea House, I examine the stems of my lilacs in March and April before leaves emerge. Stems that are larger than 2 inches in diameter are removed (to the ground) and burned. I look for sawdust throughout the year at the base and upon finding the holes they have drilled I insert a straightened paper clip, mashing them in the tunnel. I am careful not to damage stems which would give the worm access.
Lilac Leafminer mines and rolls the leaves. Bushes may apear as if they are scorched. Remove rolled leaves and burn them.
We keep a chimenea on our patio and its perfect for burning the cut up prunings. A larger fireplace may be necessary when you have larger plantings.
Leafminers hatch from their eggs in september, dropping to the ground in order to make cells in the ground to overwinter in.
Oystershell scale is called that because the shell that covers the insect look like miniature oysters about 1/8 of an inch long colored black to ash gray. The scales overwinter in the eggstage (white to yellow in color) attached to twigs. One generation per year devitalizes the plant by sucking its juices. I scrape the scale off the stems with a stick and burn them. A dormant oil can be aplied before the plants bud, smothering the scale.
Home Email me Go to my Lilac catalog for more pictures. I specialize in growing lilacs that have purple, red purple, magenta and similar flowers. I have a few white flowering varieties, a couple pink flowering and one blue flowering variety that I like as well.