Growing Lilacs

Hi April,

We would recommend replanting. Dig up the lilac bush and select a location with well-draining soil and plenty of sunlight (at least 6 hours). Prepare the soil by mixing in compost or well-rotted manure, and then plant the bush. You can add a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant to help it grow a little more before the first frost, as well as to prepare it for spring. We hope this helps!

Hi Jeri,

There are a number of possibilities: It could be Anthracnose, which first appears on lower, older leaves with defoliation progressing upwards; powdery mildew appears in whitish-gray mold patches on leaves and twigs; botrytis gray mold thrives in cool, moist conditions, causing decay of foliage; black spot also thrives in moist conditions, causing defoliation from black spots on leaves. Continue treatment with fungicide, but it may not help. Once foliage drops in fall, carefully rake up and remove all leaves: All of these diseases can overwinter in dead leaves. 

Most lilacs you may know are deciduous shrubs.  If you’re looking for an easy evergreen, consider planting yews or boxwood, A deciduous shrub that keeps its green leaves is the rhododendron.

There are lots of options. See here for a few: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/growing-guides#Flower Nurseries may have many more. Remember, it is important that your plant choices are compatible with lilac conditions, not the least of which is proper pH, but also sunlight needs. See the advice for pH above in the “Planting” section. You should be aware, too, that lilacs send up suckers (see same section above for details), and staying ahead of (removing) these could cause disruption, even uprooting of the bedding plants. For this and other reasons, you will not see too many lilacs with plants bedded beneath them. That does not mean don’t do it, but you should be aware of what can happen.

That is a very good question—and a difficult one to answer, too! We’ve never tried that ourselves, but our guess is that the process would be far too time-consuming and difficult to make it worth the effort. If you intended on digging up the lilac each year and “hibernating” it each winter, the plant would be unlikely to thrive. There are a few varieties of lilacs that may survive into Zone 7 (mid-North Carolina). Here’s a list from NC State University Extension. Check out Syringa oblata and Syringa patula specifically, and try contacting NC State University, as they may be able to give you some more specific, local advice. Good luck!

Lilacs bloom on old wood. They grow flower buds each summer for the next spring’s bloom.

Apparently poplars are popular in Manitoba. This article explains a lot about them, including their lifespan, which seems to time out pretty close to your trees: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31341249.html The article (dating from 2003!) also explains why these trees tend to die after a few decades. The question that comes to our mind is, if your trees have a disease, would that disease continue into the lilacs? And if there is disease, it would seem wise to remove the entire thing, stumps and all.

Here’s more; specifically, about poplar rust: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/plant-diseases/poplar-rust.html Could that be afflicting your trees?

Honestly, it seems like you need to know what the problem is and if it resides in the ground before going forward with planting. An arborist in your area should be able to tell you. The University of Manitoba has a program; perhaps they’ll take your call. We hope this helps.

Shayna, How exciting! See this page all about lilac care; you will need to prune your bush to keep it blooming so pay special attention to the pruning section.

We can’t see any reason not to plant mint near a lilac bush. However, mint grows best in partial to full sun, so make sure that it will get enough light under the lilacs. Mint is also a fast and enthusiastic spreader, so it may need to be reined in from time to time. Keeping the mint at least 16 inches away from the base of the lilac will ensure that too much moisture doesn’t build up and cause the lilac to stop blooming. See our Mint Plant Page for more information.

We can find no evidence that holly or laurel would be harmful to a lilac tree. There are numerous reasons why lilacs die, from too much water (poor drainage) to fungus to the unknown. Scroll through the correspondence here and you will see such comments.

We wouldn’t say that lilac roots are invasive. Just leave enough space for them to spread (about one and one-half times the width of the shrub).
 

Have you checked the soil pH? Enriching the soil is not enough; lilacs like neutral to alkaline soil but not acidic soil. And/or you might be enriching it too much; see above: 10-10-10 is recommended only in late winter. That’s coming soon … be ready. Reread the notes above, and maybe your lilac will repay you with lovely flowers.