Lilac: planting and care in the garden, pruning and propagation. Timely planting of lilacs and proper care will give a good result. How to care for lilacs after planting
This is a genus of shrubs, which is a representative of the Maslinov family. To date, the exact number of species included in this genus is unknown. Based on various sources, we can conclude that there are about thirty of them or even more. IN natural environment lilac can be found in the mountainous regions of the Eurasian continent.
It grows on Balkan Peninsula, in the Southern Carpathians and the lands along the lower reaches of the Danube. For decorative purposes, it is used as garden shrub or to reinforce slopes that are subject to shedding or erosion.
Lilac was brought to Europe by the ambassador of the Roman Empire from Constantinople. This happened in the middle of the sixteenth century, since then it has been considered European garden culture. Now lilac is grown almost all over the world. In Turkey, it is called "lilac", and in Austria and Germany it is called "Turkish viburnum".
Lilac is a deciduous shrub with many trunks from two to eight meters high.. Trunks can be quite thin or reach up to twenty centimeters in diameter. Young plants are covered with smooth grey-brown or gray bark. The bark of old trees most often has cracks and bumps.
The buds open quite early, the leaves stay until the first severe frosts. Their length can reach twelve centimeters. They can be whole or pinnatipartite, on the shoots are located in pairs on one node. Depending on the belonging to a particular species, the leaves may have a different shape:
- oval;
- ovoid;
- elongated with a sharp top;
- heart-shaped.
The crown is painted in dark or light shades of green.
When does lilac bloom?
Inflorescences are in the form of brushes or panicles up to twenty centimeters long. They consist of a large number of small flowers, resembling stars in their shape. They have a strong but pleasant aroma and can be lilac, blue, white, violet, purple or Pink colour. Flowers consist of a long tubular corolla, two stamens and three to four petals.
The flowering of such decorative tree may start in early April, May or June. This primarily depends on the climate of the area, the weather conditions of a particular season and the type of lilac. It is accompanied by a delicate, subtle and very pleasant aroma, so you can hardly miss the flowering of this wonderful plant.
Lilac fruits look like small boxes with two wings, they form a small amount of light, winged seeds.
If the place for the plant was chosen correctly and the environmental conditions are completely satisfied, then such a tree can live up to a hundred years. Today, lilac is very common ornamental shrub. Many gardeners and flower growers choose it to decorate their site. Such popularity is quite justified, this tree does not need complex care and is not at all afraid of frost, which makes it suitable ornamental plant For climatic conditions middle lane and Moscow region.
Planting lilacs in open ground
Planting lilacs in the spring is not advisable, since, unlike other shrubs, they take root better in the second half of July or August. On your site, choose a convenient place for the tree with good lighting. Keep in mind that this plant only likes moderately moist and organic-rich soils with an acidity of 5.0-7.0 pH.
When buying seedlings, first of all, pay attention to the condition of the root system. Roots should be well developed and sufficiently branched.
Before you start planting lilacs, process the seedlings.
- Too much long roots should be shortened. Their length should not exceed thirty centimeters.
- Remove broken, dry and diseased roots.
- If the shoots are very long, they will need to be cut.
How to plant lilac
Between planted plants there should be a distance of two to three meters, depending on the species and variety of seedlings. Before you start planting, you will need to prepare landing pits with sheer walls. If your area is good and fertile land it is enough to dig holes, fifty by fifty centimeters in size. If the soil is rich in sand or very poor in nutrients, planting holes should be made larger, as they will have to be filled with a fertile substrate.
To prepare the substrate, you will need the following ingredients:
- twenty kilograms of compost or humus;
- thirty grams of superphosphate;
- three hundred grams of wood ash.
If on your garden plot content acidic soil, double the amount of ash.
When all the preparations come to an end, it's time to start landing. To plant lilac seedlings in open ground, follow the plan:
- Sprinkle the bottom of the planting hole with a generous layer of drainage material. In this quality, you can use broken brick, crushed stone, small pebbles, expanded clay, crushed foam.
- On drainage layer pour fertile soil or freshly prepared substrate in the form of a mound.
- Place a seedling on the resulting hill, straighten root system and fill the planting hole with soil or substrate. Make sure that the root neck of the plant is always three to four centimeters above the soil surface.
- Water the plant abundantly, and when moisture is absorbed into the soil, mulch the area around the trunk circle using peat or humus. The layer of mulch should be at least five to seven centimeters.
How to care for lilac
Lilac care will not bring difficulties even to beginner gardeners. It's pretty unpretentious plant that can grow on its own. In cities and towns, you can often see these ownerless trees, which, even without human intervention, feel great and delight all passers-by with their flowering every spring. But if you planted a lilac in your garden, she still needs your participation.
In the first half of summer, after the lilac soil has dried, abundant watering is required. For each bush, twenty-five to thirty liters should be spent at a time. The soil in the trunk circle requires weeding and removal of weeds. It will also need to be loosened to a depth of four to seven centimeters. For one season, three or four such procedures are enough.
In August and September, the plant no longer needs frequent watering. It will be required only during a long drought and a long absence of rain. In about five to six years, your little low-maintenance seedling will grow into a lush and sturdy shrub.
When caring for lilacs, it should be borne in mind that it must be periodically fed. For the first two or three years, only a small amount of nitrogen needs to be applied as a fertilizer. From the third year, the bush is fed with fifty grams of urea or seventy grams of ammonium nitrate.
Experienced gardeners recommend replacing these top dressings with organic fertilizers. Based on observations, we can conclude that manure acts much more effectively on lilacs. It should be taken at the rate of one to three buckets of slurry per bush. To make a solution, take one part of cow dung to five parts of water and mix well. To make such top dressing, along the perimeter of the entire near-stem circle, no closer than half a meter to the plant, they dig a shallow furrow into which the resulting solution is poured.
Phosphorus and potassium supplements should be applied every two to three years, thirty to thirty five grams of potassium nitrate and thirty five to forty grams double superphosphate per adult bush. The granules will interfere to a depth of six to eight centimeters, and then shed the soil well.
But the very best complex top dressing for lilacs, a solution of ash is rightfully: two hundred grams per eight liters of water.
Transfer
Experienced gardeners always repot lilac bushes one or two years after planting. This is mandatory procedure, since the lilac very quickly absorbs all the nutrients from the ground, even if you fertilize it regularly. Therefore, after two years, the soil no longer has the amount of energy and value that the plant needs for development, growth and abundant flowering.
Young bushes should be transplanted in late spring, after the last inflorescences have faded, otherwise they simply will not be able to take root. Three-year-old plants and older are transplanted no earlier than August.
How to make a transplant:
- Prepare landing pits according to the same principle as when planting seedlings.
- Inspect the bush, remove all unnecessary, dry or damaged shoots and branches.
- Dig it around the perimeter of the crown, remove their soil along with an earthen clod.
- For transplanting this plant, the rolling method is perfect. Place the excavated bush on the oilcloth spread on the ground and drag it to the new hole. This way you will not damage the bush and its fragile root system.
- The volume of the new pit should be larger than the earthen clod, since drainage material and nutrient soil will still need to be placed in it.
Young bushes up to two years old do not need pruning. They have not yet formed "skeletal" branches. Be prepared for the fact that it will take two or three years to form the crown. You can go to this process in the third year of the plant's life.
Pruning should be done in the spring, before the buds swell, until sap flow begins. To do this, five to seven beautiful branches are noted, located at an equal distance from each other, the rest are considered superfluous, they will need to be cut. Root growth should also be removed.
The following season, about half of the flowering shoots are pruned. No more than eight healthy buds should remain on each skeletal branch, the rest of the branches are cut off so as not to overload the lilac during the flowering period. At the same time as forming pruning, sanitary should be carried out, that is, all improperly growing, diseased, frozen and broken shoots should be removed.
If you want to give the bush the shape of a tree, you need to prepare for this process when planting. For this, seedlings with a strong and straight vertical branch are selected. It is shortened to the height of the stem, and later, with the help of regrown shoots, five to six skeletal branches are formed, clearing the trunk and the trunk circle from overgrowth. When the standard tree is ready, you only need to thin out the crown annually to maintain the required shape.
In the spring when the weather for a long time will keep warm, a subtle lilac aroma will begin to spread over your site, which is very attractive to the beetles. You will have to collect them from plants manually.
During the period of active flowering, about sixty percent of flowering shoots should be cut. Such pruning is called “for a bouquet”, it is necessary for a more intensive appearance of fresh shoots and laying flower buds for the next season.
If you want a bouquet of blooming lilac twigs to stand in the water for as long as possible, cut them early in the morning and split the tips of all the branches. When the flowering period comes to an end, remove any wilted tassels from the plant.
Diseases and pests
From our article, you learned how to properly plant lilacs in open ground and what care she needs. Now you have the opportunity to decorate your garden with beautifully flowering and fragrant shrubs.
Lilac is flowering shrub with lush clusters of delicate flowers, pleasing no less delicate and delicate aroma. This plant lends itself well to pruning, which allows you to decorate the site and single decorative forms, and groups, and even live fences.
Where to plant lilac
Better conditions for lilac are as follows: flat place; the soil is moist, with good drainage and acidity close to neutral; passage ground water at least one and a half meters from the surface; sun exposure most of the day; shelter from drafts. Lilac does not grow in swampy or often flooded areas. In these cases, if there is no other possibility, it is planted on the hills, poured following the example of an alpine hill.
Acidic soil must be treated with lime or dolomite flour before planting. Lilac tolerates partial shade, and in the shade it weakens, growth and development slows down, blooms poorly and not plentifully. But in a lighted place it is a bright shrub with lush greenery, strong shoots and many inflorescences.
In areas open to the wind, especially in the cold season, lilac buds freeze, which affects flowering. Choose a warm sunny place for planting, sheltered from the wind, for example, among perennial tall plants.
When and how to plant lilac
Lilacs take root well, all she needs is compliance with planting conditions, healthy planting material and attentive care.
Did you know? Once the ancient Greek goat-like god Pan was inflamed with feelings for the nymph Syringa. The beauty ran away in fright, not responding to Pan's sympathy. Fleeing from Pan, who was pursuing her, Syringa stopped at the river, which blocked her path. She called for the help of the river god, and he turned her into lush bush With delicate flowers lilac shade. Since then, lilac has been called the name of a beautiful nymph.
The optimal time for planting shrubs
The best time to plant lilacs is August-September. During this period, seedlings have time to take root before frost. Plant the plant in the evening or on a cloudy day. It is possible to plant in the spring before the awakening of the kidneys. In this case, it is necessary to prepare the soil for planting in the fall.
How to choose planting material
The solution to the question: how to breed lilacs on the site, begins with the choice of a seedling. A lilac seedling should have green leaves, a well-branched root system with densely growing thin roots.
The best age for a seedling is 2-3 years, the plant can be both grafted and own-rooted, and the growth of the seedling is from 50 to 70 cm, the diameter of the root lobe is about 30 cm. Such plants tolerate transplantation more easily and take root more easily, their root system is less injured. Keep this in mind for the future when you dig up your own seedlings: the roots cannot be damaged, the seedling is dug out with a clod of earth.
Lilac planting scheme
When planting, first, deal with the pit for the seedling: V fertile soil the depth of the fossa is equal to the length of the roots (up to 30 cm); on poor soils, the pit has a size of a meter per meter. Lay drainage at the bottom of the pit (brick fragments, large pebbles), fertilize with soil mixed with humus (15 kg), wood ash (200 g), superphosphate (30 g).
Plant a bush, straightening the roots, root collar leave at ground level if you don't want a lot of root growth, 2 cm above ground level. If you plan to propagate by shoots, on the contrary, deepen the root neck. Sprinkle the seedling with soil, compact around the trunk and water. After the soil absorbs water, mulch with peat or other material.
How and what to feed the lilac
If the soil was well fertilized during planting, top dressing is not needed in the first 2-3 years. Further, to stimulate growth, lilac top dressing in spring is carried out with nitrogen compounds, for better flowering- phosphorus. Once every 2 years, they are fed with potash fertilizers after flowering.
Important! Nitrogen mineral fertilizers contraindicated in the second part of the growing season. You can not overdo it with nitrogen: lilac blooms worse, sprouts more, which do not have time to get stronger and freeze in the winter.
Do not abuse organic nitrogen fertilizers for lilacs in the spring: manure, chicken droppings - this will also affect flowering. Lilac watering is needed in the first year after planting for a good survival rate of seedlings. Adult bushes are watered only during dry periods.
Rules for pruning lilacs, do I need to trim it
To keep the bushes neat and elegant, lilac pruning is necessary. Fading, lilac partially loses its attractiveness. By nature, the shoots of the bush grow too quickly and a little sloppy: in all directions, thickening greatly.
When is lilac pruning needed?
The optimal time is the period before the sap begins to move along the branches - early spring. In summer, only damaged or useless shoots are removed. When to prune lilacs, the calendar will tell you: in summer, the results of pruning can be used as cuttings or scion. After the flowering period, dry inflorescences are carefully removed, try not to damage the leaves. Broken and dried branches can be removed from the shrub during the entire period of development - flowering. Grafted plants are cleaned mainly from abundant wild growth.
Attention! It is not recommended to form lilac bushes in autumn - in winter, a branch that has not healed from a cut will freeze.
How to trim correctly
Shaping the bush "under the natural" will look good against the backdrop of a rustic style in the garden. To form such a crown, create a base. The bush is formed from 3 - 4 stem branches, removing in the first year all crookedly growing and inwardly directed branches. If 2 branches approximately the same in development are formed, growing crosswise, one of them, the weaker one, is removed. The branches of the base are shortened by half the length, leaving the buds oriented in the direction of growth of future branches.
In the second year, all branches that have grown inside the bush are cut off, annual shoots are cut to buds, from which shoots forming a shape will grow. The main task this year is to evenly overgrow the crown, without voids and chaotic directions. Once this is done, trimming is stopped. Next, you need to maintain shape, sometimes removing damaged or growing inward branches, unnecessary shoots.
If there are a lot of bushes, shaping can be made easier. For the first couple of years, let the bush develop freely, and then cut off all the weak shoots that interfere with each other, leaving the strong ones. After flowering, you can carefully shorten the branches so that they all look the same.
To form a lilac in the form of a tree - a trunk - an annual bush is shortened at the height of the trunk, leaving 3-4 buds. The shoots that have grown from these buds are formed in the same way as a bush, laying the basis of the crown from them. Next, you need to cut off all the shoots in the stem area and thin out the crown.
Lilac reproduction
There are several ways to propagate lilacs. Having understood them, each gardener will choose the most suitable one for himself.
Interesting! Elizabeth I Tudor, Queen of England and Ireland, was delighted with the gift of the Austrian emperor. The Austrian autocrat brought a purple bush from Istanbul. Lilac has become one of the Queen's favorite flowers.
seeds
Seeds are collected in late autumn in wet weather so that the seeds do not accidentally wake up. The seed pods are dried for several days, the seeds are shaken out of them, removing debris.
Seeds need to be stratified: sprinkle with wet sand, fill in containers with holes at the bottom and send for 2 months to a room with a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees Celsius. In March, they are sown in a box with steamed earth (for disease prevention). Depending on the variety, seedlings appear after 10 days or 2-3 months.
When the second pair of leaves is formed, the sprouts dive into seedling boxes at a distance of 3 cm. They are planted in open ground in the month of May. You can sow before winter in a snowy crust. Seeds are buried 1.5 cm into the ground, and in the spring they dive into boxes and grow.
cuttings
Cutting lilacs with lignified shoots does not give results, it is rather an exception to the rule. Consider reproduction by green shoots. Harvest cuttings at the beginning of flowering. The cutting must have 1 internode and 2 buds. The lower cut is made, stepping back 1 cm from the kidney, the leaves are removed. For better rooting, treat with a growth stimulator before planting. Plant to a depth of 1 cm.
Propagation of lilacs by cuttings in the spring is also possible at home: you can root in a container with a transparent lid. To do this, prepare nutrient soil and coarse sand. The temperature should be maintained within 25-28 degrees Celsius. Spray the sprouts daily with water from a spray bottle. A month later, roots form, and in the fall they can be planted in the ground on the site, protecting them from freezing.
Root growth
The first growth is separated in early June before the shoots turn brown. Before separating, the soil around the donor bush must be moistened. Since the roots are still weak, carry out the procedure on a cloudy day so that they do not dry out. The length of the roots should be 3-5 cm. Put wet sand or peat on the bottom of the dive box, plant seedlings there and spray with water. Then plant in a cold greenhouse at a distance of 5 cm.
The first 7 days the plants are under the film and sprayed twice a day. Then the film is removed, and watering occurs as needed. The optimal growing period is two growing seasons. Then the bushes are planted in a permanent place. Care consists in maintaining soil moisture and thinning if necessary. Priming trunk circles mulch.
Mass flowering of such bushes begins at 5-7 years of age. Despite late flowering, this method of reproduction gives the shrub longevity.
Inoculation
There are several methods of vaccination, let's talk about the most common of them.
Copulation- this is a method when the tissues of the scion and rootstock most closely match. Rootstock and scion shoots should have the same thickness. Copulation is carried out at the root neck into a trunk at a selected height and into the crown. Each branch of the skeleton is grafted separately. At correct execution actions after 2.5 months, the scion grows together.
Copulation simple, or oblique cut carried out before the onset of sap flow. The stalk is cut at an angle of 45 degrees to 2 cm in length, the cut of the stock is also. The scion is pressed against the rootstock and tightly tied.
English copy. Sections are made at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the branches. To increase the area of contact and connect the scion and stock more densely and stronger, longitudinal cuts are made on both sections.
Lilac is an adornment of almost every Russian garden. Excellent, this deciduous shrub, which has a large number of trunks, grows not only in the middle zone of the country or its southern regions, but also in the conditions of the northern territories, enduring wintering without any problems. Growing lilacs is a fairly simple task, especially if you are an experienced gardener. The flowering of the purple brushes of the plant symbolizes the beginning of spring, a new life for each of us. In this material we will talk about how to cultivate this plant in the garden.
The timing of flowering lilacs can vary under the influence of a variety of factors. So, first of all, they are determined by:
- varietal variety of a plant growing in your area;
- climatic conditions of the region in which your garden is located;
- weather relevant for a particular spring.
As you understand, the dates of interest to us may change, but, in any case, they will fit in the interval between the end of April and the beginning of June.
This grandiose event for every gardener will not be missed, because when the time comes, the bush will release delicate lilac brushes of flowers and the air will be filled with a wonderful aroma.
By the way, if you manage to create favorable conditions for the bush, then it will be able to live, no less, up to a hundred years. This plant will not organize any difficulties in caring for you, as it grows literally by itself, and is not afraid of even severe cold.
Growing lilacs in the garden
Every gardener can grow lilac in the garden. To do this, you just need to understand the main points associated with this procedure. So let's get started.
Lilac planting
The best period of the year, which is most appropriate for planting this plant in the ground, varies from July 15 to early September. You can vary the dates yourself, as they will be influenced by the onset of cold weather, current weather and other factors.
Plant lilacs in late autumn or in early spring it is not worth it, unlike other shrubs, during these periods the plant practically does not take root, and quickly dies.
You need to choose an area in your garden for planting that will be well lit. This bush is not afraid of direct sunlight. As for the soil, the best soil for lilacs has the following characteristics:
- moderate humidity;
- saturation with humus;
- is slightly alkaline.
Rarely does anyone grow lilacs from seeds, it is much easier and faster to buy seedlings, therefore, we will do the same, however, when buying, we will pay attention to the condition of the items offered for sale. So, we need one that will be equipped with a root system:
- strongly expressed;
- developed according to the trunk;
- extensively branched.
Before planting such a seedling, delivering the plant home, you must:
- shorten the root part of the plant directly to 30 centimeters;
- remove damaged, shriveled or diseased roots.
By the way, the same must be done with respect to the shoots, but only on condition that they are sick or have excessive length.
The distance for planting between each lilac seedling, depending on its cultivar, should vary from 2 to 3 meters, but it is better to take the maximum. Planting takes place in several stages.
Stage number 1 - preparing landing pits
First of all, we need to dig planting holes in the soil. Provided that you have at your disposal high-quality garden land, characterized by at least average fertility, then the size of the pits should be as follows:
- 50 centimeters wide;
- similar length;
- similar depth.
If the landing is carried out in sandy loamy soil or simply infertile soil, then the pit must be doubled in all respects, since when planting it will also interfere with the nutrient composition made by you manually from:
- humus in the amount of up to 20 kilograms per pit;
- superphosphate in the amount of 30 grams;
- ash left after burning wood, in a volume equal to 300 grams.
Note: provided that the soil in your garden is acidic, then you will need to double the indicated amount of added ash.
After the hole is dug, it is necessary to lay material on its bottom, with the help of which drainage will be carried out in the future. excess fluid. They can serve:
- expanded clay;
- the remains of broken bricks;
- crushed stone and other similar materials.
After laying the drainage layer, it is poured on top fertile mixture for plant growth. If you do not need to fertilize the soil additionally, just pour garden soil into the hole.
Stage number 2 - put the seedling in the hole
The seedling is installed directly in the center of the pit on a piled mound of earth or nutrient mixture. Separately, the roots of the plant are straightened so that they can grow as quickly as possible, and then the pit is filled to the top with garden soil.
At the same time, the root neck of the plant should remain above the ground, protruding by about 4 centimeters.
Stage number 3 - watering and mulching
After the plant is planted, it must be shed as abundantly as possible, and after the water is absorbed into the ground, mulch the areola of the pit from above using:
- peat;
- or humus.
The thickness of the laid out layer of mulch should be equal to 5-7 centimeters.
Lilac: care
Lilac care can really be called easy, as this plant is very unpretentious. The lilac grows on its own, but in the first half you will need to water it:
- I use about 30 liters of water for each bush;
- repeating the moistening of the soil after it dries.
In addition, it is desirable to carry out loosening around the trunk up to 4 times during the growing season, deepening the chopper by 4-7 centimeters. At the same time, it will not be superfluous to remove weeds.
In August, as well as September, the plant is not watered, except perhaps if there is no rain and a long drought has set in, but this is a rare phenomenon for our country.
Approximately 5-6 years after planting, garden seedlings will turn into full-fledged bushes and will delight you with abundant flowering.
Now let's talk about top dressing.
1. For the first three years of the plant's life, it will be necessary to feed the bushes with nitrogen fertilizer, using it in small quantities according to the instructions.
2. Starting from the second year of plant growth, urea is introduced into the soil, approximately in a volume equal to 50-60 grams.
3. It would also be nice to feed the first years of lilac growth with organic matter, using slurry in an amount of up to three buckets per bush. The slurry is prepared as follows:
- one part of manure is taken;
- diluted in five parts of water.
Fertilizer is applied by tearing out a circular furrow along the perimeter of the plant trunks, and pouring the resulting solution into it.
4. Fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus should be dug into the ground near the plant about once every 3 years, using:
- potassium nitrate in a volume of up to 35 grams;
- double superphosphate, up to 40 grams.
Be sure to irrigate after introducing the listed fertilizers into the soil.
5. Another natural and extremely useful fertilizer for lilacs is an ash solution, made up in the following proportions:
- 200 grams of ash;
- for 8 liters of pure water.
Provided that you give the lilac such support, it will delight you with an incredibly beautiful and lush bloom.
Mandatory lilac transplant
Experienced gardeners know: about 2 years after planting lilacs, bushes need to be replanted. We explain why this happened. The fact is that the lilac very quickly takes all the nutrients from the soil, and even if you regularly fertilize the land, after 2 years it will be almost “empty”. Ah, in the meantime, to keep on giving beautiful flowers, lilac requires constant nutrition.
The transplantation of bushes begins no earlier than the onset of the month of August, but not too late, so that the plant has time to take root in a new place.
- At the beginning, by analogy with the planting procedure, holes are dug to accommodate the bushes, and equipped with a drainage system. The pits should be larger in order to fit the developed roots of the plant, as well as the nutrient substrate and the earth.
- Then the bushes of plants are dug up, and they are examined, during which all diseased, dried and broken shoots are removed. It is necessary to remove the bush from the ground along with a lump caught on the roots. It is necessary to move the plant directly to its new place of residence carefully, on an impromptu stretcher made of oilcloth or other material.
- After establishing a plant with an earthen clod inside the pit, we fill the pits with soil to their very surface.
Lilac circumcision
Young two-year-old bushes do not need pruning, as they have not yet had time to form the so-called skeletal branches, however, already in the third year of the bush's life, crown formation should be started.
This procedure usually takes about 3 years. It is held in the spring, before the bush starts to take place. metabolic processes. The beginning of sap flow is indicated by swelling of the kidneys, so before you notice this, take care of pruning.
Lilac pruning is usually carried out for the sake of crown formation, as well as in order to provide the necessary "hygiene" to the bush.
You will need to cut off all the shoots, leaving only 6-7 branches each:
- distant from each other at an equal distance;
- the most beautiful in your opinion.
At the same time, it is also necessary to remove the young shoots released by the bush.
In the second year of pruning, you will need to cut off half of the flowering shoots. From each skeletal branch, a length sufficient to maintain no more than 8 buds is removed.
Not only do you need to carry out forming pruning, it will not be superfluous to carry out sanitary. So, during the formation of a bush, branches should be removed that:
- frozen;
- broke;
- stricken with disease;
- grow incorrectly.
Many gardeners are afraid to thin out the lilac crown, however, it should be remembered that in this way you help it gain new strength, and do not harm it.
How to care for lilacs in bloom
It is very important to pay special attention to the care of lilacs while they are in bloom.
So, for example, the sweet aroma of the inflorescences of this crop attracts pests - May beetles. With my own hands you will have to remove them from the plant in order to keep it intact.
In addition, it is important to cut about 60% of the total volume of flowers during the active phase of blooming inflorescences in lilacs. Can you make yourself beautiful bouquets, and at the same time push the bush to form new shoots now and lay flower buds for a new growing season.
Check out this interesting tip: in order for the cut lilac to stand in a vase longer, you need to cut it in the morning, and after the cut, split it into several parts.
Withering and yellowing brushes must be cut from lilacs.
Plant pests and diseases
Despite the fact that the culture of interest to us, in principle, rarely gets sick, under adverse conditions it can still become infected with various rots, necrosis and powdery mildew.
In addition, pests often attack her, for example:
- moth;
- kidney mites;
- mole;
- hawk hawk, etc.
With many of these diseases, prevention helps to cope, which consists in regular thinning of the crown, carried out according to the rules.
In addition, when infected with rot of bacterial etiology, it will be correct to treat the plant with copper oxychloride, it is best not just once, but several times, with a break of 10-12 days.
Powdery mildew is helped by the use of fungicides. Various fungal wilt etiologies can be stopped using a homemade solution made from:
- water;
- ordinary laundry soap;
- sodium carbonate.
All shoots affected by pests or diseases must be cut and sent for burning.
Indian lilac: cultivation
Indian lilac, contrary to popular belief, is not a lilac, but belongs to the shrubs of the genus Lagerstromia. Its flowering is as impressive as that of the traditional lilac.
Unfortunately, in Russia this culture can only grow:
- in the conditions of the southern regions;
- in middle latitudes, provided that its wintering will take place exclusively in apartments or heated houses.
Lagerstromia blooms from July to October, but only if you create favorable conditions for it. However, it must be said that the peculiarity of this plant lies in its adaptation even to relatively unfavorable conditions and a high degree of survival.
You need to choose a place in the garden for Indian lilac by analogy with the traditional variety of this culture:
- open;
- flooded sunbeams.
Landing is done in the spring, so that the plant has time to grow and "wake up" from wintering.
When planting, you need to prepare the plant by shortening the root part exactly in half. Then, as you already know, you need to dig a hole, only this time its parameters should be 40 centimeters long by 40 wide by 40 deep.
The pit also needs to be drained, then the seedling is set clearly in the middle, the roots are straightened and covered with earth. After that, abundant and regular watering begins, and, in addition, spraying, because despite the love of light, lagerstromia does not tolerate dryness.
The shrubs are fed mainly with organic matter, starting to produce fertilizer in March, and continue until the end of the first summer month. The recharge of the land begins again in September.
After 2 years of growth, by analogy with ordinary lilacs, a plant is transplanted, and they begin to shape it, shortening the shoots by about 30 centimeters from their original length.
As the plant grows, care will remain the same. You can learn its nuances in the part of the article that is devoted to the traditional lilac, since for both of these plants it will be almost the same.
Summing up
Lilac is a very common plant in our country, and is associated with beauty and the arrival of spring. Interestingly, with its uniquely high decorative value, it practically does not require maintenance, and those procedures that still need to be carried out will not be able to scare anyone. experienced gardener, no newbie.
Video - Lilac: care, cultivation, reproduction
Lilac always captivates with its splendor and wonderful aroma. It is impossible to pass by such splendor and not break a twig to enjoy the fresh smell longer.
It's great if such a bush is already growing on your site - you have the opportunity to admire this beauty and inhale the finest aroma, charging for the whole day. good mood.
And if it is not yet in your garden, then it's time to start selecting a variety and planting.
There is no need to be afraid, even if you are still a beginner gardener. This is such an unpretentious shrub that with planting and caring for it in open ground even a beginner can handle it.
And if we take into account its winter hardiness and drought resistance, then we can understand that caring for lilacs is not difficult.
But, although there is nothing complicated in growing a shrub and further propagating it, there are certain rules that should be followed in order to grow a healthy, fragrant bush.
Over the past 150 years, breeders around the world have bred more than 2,200 lilac hybrids. The basis for selection is, as a rule, common lilac.
Hybrids are distinguished by:
Despite these differences, the growing conditions and growing methods for all varieties and hybrids are almost the same.
This species is very popular among the people. But it often happens that Persian lilac other varieties are named. The question arises: is there really such a variety?
It turns out, yes, it really exists. It was brought out in 1640, crossing the small-cut lilac with the Afghan lilac. The varietal standard is now kept in London.
The bush grows quite quickly, but it cannot boast of a special scope - its average height is 1-2 m, and this is about 1/3 lower than bushes of other varieties.
This circumstance led to the fact that another word appeared in the name of the variety - Dwarf Persian lilac.
However, these compact shrubs do well in small areas, adding variety to garden plantings or acting as a hedge.
The yellow color of the petals is absolutely unusual for the common lilac.
But since 1949, breeders from Holland have been breeding a new variety based on Marie Legraye, which they called Primrose (Primrose).
In the future, this variety received another name - Yellow Wonder (Yellow miracle). This is the first and so far the only type of lilac in the world with such an unusual color of flowers.
Still, it was not possible to achieve a pronounced yellow color, a distinct yellowness is noticeable only on the buds.
Blooming inflorescences are cream, vanilla, waxy, and soon become almost white. This is due to the snow-white color of the mother variety.
Yellow lilac reaches a height of 3-3.5 m, blooms longer than other species (from mid-May to late June), the bush is abundantly covered with pyramidal inflorescences (up to 20 cm in length), having 2-3 tops, the petals have a diameter of up to 1 .5 cm. Primrose is distinguished by a stronger aroma.
Among the Far Eastern lilacs, there are also species with a similar cream color. For example, Amur lilac or Treskun.
This plant is quite powerful and tall. In a harsh climate Far East this species grows in the wild up to 20 m in height, however, in gardens the height does not exceed half, that is, it grows up to 10 m.
Amur lilac is a long-lived tree, its life expectancy is about a century.
The Chinese lilac was first discovered not in China, as the name suggests, but in France, in botanical garden Rouen, late 18th century.
The morphological characteristics of the variety have much in common with the Persian lilac, so it is completely incomprehensible where this name came from.
The only difference from the Persian one is in the height of the bush, in the Chinese one it reaches 6 m.
It blooms with pinkish-purple flowers, the diameter of which is about 2 cm.
Inflorescences are often formed into a complex panicle, the length of which reaches 0.6-0.8 m, and which many call the "fox tail".
Luxurious lilac Monique Lemoine was bred one of the last in the collection of varieties by Lemoine breeders in 1939.
A two-meter bush has a compact upright crown, decorated with large white inflorescences with pointed petals.
These inflorescences usually have more than four corollas.
Monique Lemoine can be safely called the most terry of all lilacs white color. The lilac Taras Bulba is close to her in terms of terryness.
Lilac Preston obtained by crossing two types of lilac: drooping and hairy.
This hybrid got its name in honor of its creator, the first female breeder in Canada, Isabella Preston.
Tall (about 4 meters), strong, branched bush has increased resistance in culture, frost resistance and a special decorative effect.
Meyer's lilac comes from the Olive family, which has natural and hybrid subspecies, about 40 names.
Lilac flowering begins in early May, ends at the end of June.
The height of the bush varies from 1.5 to 10 meters, depending on the variety, but, basically, it is an undersized dwarf lilac.
Thanks to this quality, it is possible to give the bush standard form, which will add an extraordinary decorative effect to your site.
Life expectancy is about 90 years.
A feature of this variety is an unusually strong aroma.
The plant grows on any soil, reconciles with a lack of moisture, endures frost. Therefore, the popularity of this lilac is so high among the inhabitants of central Russia, with a climate, such as, for example, in the Moscow region.
Another valuable advantage of Meyer's lilac over other species is that it blooms twice in a summer.
True, the second flowering, which occurs in the second half of August, is not so plentiful, however, it is always nice to admire blooming lilac in the garden at an uncharacteristic time of the year.
Other varieties have the same qualities, for example, hybrid lilac Josie, Boomerang Ash.
Place and soil in the garden for planting lilacs
Drought resistance and winter hardiness of lilac can envy any shrub. However, she, like most plants, loves to bask in the warm sunshine.
It can grow in the shade, but the bush will be weakened, the shoots will begin to stretch in search of the sun, of course it will bloom, but not as plentifully as in a sunny place.
Excessively flooded and swampy places are not for her.
A large amount of water after the snow has melted in spring has a negative effect on the plant, it feels depressed, development stops, and if it blooms, the flowers will be faded and underdeveloped.
Try to protect the lilac in the country from drafts and strong winds. A sharp gust of wind can simply break newly planted lilac seedlings.
The best place for lilacs - not far from the fence, near the wall of some building or country house.
The plant has no special requirements for the composition of the soil, it grows well on poor soil. But still, it is better if the soil for lilacs is slightly alkaline.
Landing Time
Lilac planting, as well as its transplantation, can be carried out in late summer or early autumn, but many gardeners try to plant lilacs in the spring, immediately after the snow melts, in order to be in time before the buds open.
If the buds on the seedling have begun to awaken, postpone planting in open ground until the end of August.
Keep in mind. Due to the fact that it is possible to miss the appropriate planting date, purchase seedlings for planting in the spring not with an open, but with a closed root system, so that they can be successfully stored until autumn.
You can also transplant lilacs to another place in July, when the flowering period ends and the shrub falls into a dormant state.
best time for planting, the beginning of September is considered, when it is still warm enough and there is no threat of frost.
The seedling will take root well and get stronger before winter, and in the spring it will give all its strength to its development, and not to rooting.
planting material
Carefully consider the choice of planting material. First of all, pay attention to the roots, they should not be dry and brittle.
Tips for choosing seedlings (using an apple tree as an example)
Signs of a healthy root system:
- elasticity;
- branching;
- diameter must be at least 0.3 m.
Advice. Buy seedlings in a specialized store or in a nursery - this is a guarantee of the quality and health of the planting material.
When buying, conduct a small test for the viability of a seedling: bend one of the thin small roots.
If it has broken and darkened, then this plant is not worth buying, since the root has already dried up.
Another test is the state of the cortex. Lightly scratch the bark with your fingernail, green color indicates that the seedling is quite viable. And brown or grey colour indicates a disease of the plant, it is better not to buy it.
A healthy and strong tree should be at least 0.5 m in height and have 3-6 skeletal branches.
Lilac planting scheme
Properly prepare the site for planting: remove all weeds and dig. Mix humus (1.5 buckets), superphosphate (2 tablespoons) and wood ash (2 stacks) - this substrate is enough for one hole, you will need it during planting.
If the acidity of the soil is increased, add 2 more cups of ash.
Carefully inspect the seedlings, they should not have damaged and dry parts of the roots.
Before you start preparing the site, put the seedlings in a bucket of water, adding a root-forming preparation there so that the plant can better tolerate acclimatization.
Proceed to planting in cloudy weather or in the evening:
- Dig a hole. Its size depends on the fertility of the soil. If the fertility is high, 0.3 m deep is enough, on poor land, make the size 1m x 1m.
- Lay the bottom of the hole with broken bricks or large pebbles - this is drainage.
- Pour the prepared substrate so that you get a mound.
- Place the seedling on top of the mound, spreading the roots down. Do not deepen the root neck, it should protrude 3-4 cm above the ground.
- Fill the hole with the excavated soil, tamp down a little and water well.
- Mulch the trunk circle.
The most optimal distance between lilac seedlings is at least three meters.
Care for lilacs in the open field
In order for the lilac bush to please with its appearance and wonderful aroma, give it a little of your attention and care.
After all, just creating good conditions for the lilac, you will get what you planted it for.
Watering
If the seedling is planted in springtime, then in the first year water more often and more, especially in dry summer period.
But do not forget that lilac does not tolerate too much moisture.
An adult bush does not need frequent watering. But in hot, dry weather, she will be happy with regular moderate watering.
If the foliage on the bush is dusty and has lost its decorative effect, give it a water shower, the lilac loves this procedure. During flowering, of course, this should not be done.
Be sure to water the lilacs in September, pouring 3 buckets of water under the root per bush. This will help her survive the harsh winter.
top dressing
Proper and timely feeding of lilacs will ensure lush and long flowering.
In the first 3 years of life, provided that the pit was well filled with fertilizers when planting, additional feeding is not required.
The only fertilizer for lilacs that can be applied after the snow melts is ammonium nitrate or urea. They contain nitrogen, which will help to quickly increase the green mass.
In the 4th year, introduce organic top dressing. You can feed with mullein infusion, diluting 1 liter of infusion in a bucket of water.
How to feed lilacs in autumn? IN autumn period she needs phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
When you dig up the ground under a bush, throw a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate and the same amount of potassium nitrate per plant.
Liquid top dressing is also suitable: dilute a faceted glass of ash in a bucket of water and water the bush.
pruning
To make the lilac bush look neat and even elegant, you need to periodically trim it.
Very fast growth shoots leads to the fact that there is a feeling of some slovenliness and "shaggy" when looking at the plant.
In addition, the bush is too thick, which negatively affects its development and flowering.
All flowers will form only at the very tips of the branches, and the center of the bush will be without inflorescences.
If it is not cut out, then after 3-5 years it will run wild and the process of degeneration will start.
Many gardeners are convinced that it is imperative to break off all flowering branches in order to ensure more lush flowering next year. This is an erroneous opinion.
Roughly breaking off the branches, you plunge the plant into a state of stress. But pruning lilacs, performed according to the rules, will bring nothing but good.
Crown formation begins only in the third year of the seedling's life. Until this time, he is not disturbed, waiting for the skeleton to fully form.
The most suitable time is early spring, until the sap flow begins and the kidneys wake up.
Mark the strongest and most beautiful branches, about 5-7 pieces, which are equally spaced from each other. Leave them, and delete everything else without regret. Next year, cut the flowering branches in half, shorten the rest of the shoots to 8 buds too.
On a note. When carrying out formative pruning, sanitary pruning is also usually done, when all dry or damaged branches, as well as diseased shoots, are removed.
If you form a crown on an adult bush, then do not prune in the spring, as the plant may simply not bloom from the resulting stress.
Do it at the final stage of flowering to prevent the bush from weakening and give it the opportunity to lay new buds.
To begin with, remove faded panicles so that the shrub does not waste energy on feeding them, but directs it to young shoots.
Then shorten all long branches by 1/3.
Excess root shoots should also be removed.
If you want to limit the width of the bush, remove the frail and thin side shoots.
Ultimately, you will be able to admire a compact plant with a "combed" crown.
This pruning should be done regularly.
Treatment for diseases and pests
Lilac has good resistance to diseases and harmful insects. But sometimes we ourselves are to blame for the lilac disease. The reason may be violations of the rules of agricultural technology, due to which the plant's immunity is weakened.
For example, vascular wilt or Fusarium is preceded by improperly selected soil and deepening of the root collar during planting.
From a lack of potassium in the soil, root rot develops, ugly spots appear on the leaves.
Soil acidification, waterlogging, too much nitrogen fertilizer, wounds on branches - all this causes rotting of the shoots.
A weakened plant can easily become infected with fungal or bacterial infections, especially if it is young bushes.
It is impossible to get rid of viral and mycoplasmal diseases. There is only one way out - to uproot the bush and burn it, disinfecting the site.
From acacia false shield, lilac leaf mite, cicadas, weevils, moth-moth, lilac moth, hawk moth and other pests will help chemicals sold at any garden center.
Lilac reproduction
Reproduction of lilac occurs with the help of:
- seed;
- Cherenkov;
- Root growth.
Each method has its own specifics, which we will discuss below.
seeds
This method is quite laborious, so gardeners usually do not use it.
It is used in nurseries to obtain planting material from the desired variety.
The technology is very simple:
- collect lilac seeds from the selected plant;
- stratify them for 2 months in a damp cloth in the refrigerator;
- in late autumn or early spring, sow them for seedlings;
- pick up in separate containers;
- with the onset of heat, land in the ground.
cuttings
In the summer, when the bush is still blooming, or when flowering has just ended, you need to prepare cuttings.
Find a young non-lignified shoot located inside a bush with 2-3 nodes and cut it with an oblique cut, while the top cut should be straight.
Remove the leaves from the lower end of the cutting and put it in water with a root-forming preparation for 15-16 hours.
Then plant in a pot with soil, cover with a jar, put in the shade, not forgetting to water periodically.
After a couple of months, when the first roots form, do regular ventilation by removing the jar.
You can plant in open ground until August, if until this time the planting has not taken place, then leave the cuttings to grow until spring.
Root growth
This is the simplest and reliable way breeding. How it's done:
- Choose a non-lignified shoot.
- Make a shallow groove.
- Lay a bent shoot in it so that the top remains on top of the ground.
- Fix the escape with a hairpin.
- Water regularly and remove weeds around it.
- Closer to autumn, separate from the main bush and plant the finished seedling in the selected area.
To protect a young seedling from frost, cover it before the onset of winter with a layer of needles or dry leaves.
Making a lilac hedge
For this purpose, undersized (dwarf) lilac, for example, Meyer or Amur, is best suited. Plant bushes at intervals of 1.5 m.
The next year, the young shoots of one plant must be intertwined with the same shoots of another bush and, to be sure, tied them.
In a year or two, individual bushes will turn into a thick green mass, which can already be cut.
If you want to get a flowering hedge, leave the height of the bush at least 1.3-1.8 m.
Bushes 1.0-1.4 m high will not bloom.
Such a fence will protect you from prying eyes, from the penetration of animals, and uninvited guests, into your site, and will simply become a decoration of the garden.
We recommend to know:According to an ancient Scandinavian legend, after the union of the rainbow and the sun, the first lilac bushes appeared on earth, an unpretentious and cultivated plant that decorates any area with its lush and magnificent flowering in spring.
Decorative perennial is not difficult to grow and even easier to use in landscape design, because after flowering, the dense crown of the bush creates a favorable shade, and the leaves remain green until autumn, lilac care is quite simple and can be planted near the house and in front gardens.
Selection of seedlings for planting
Independent planting of lilacs begins with the choice of a plant variety, of which there are a huge variety, and they differ in the size of the brushes and the flowers that form them, which are distinguished by a rich palette of shades and tones.
The choice of seedlings must be approached as responsibly as possible, they must be as viable as possible, good planting material has a well-developed root system in combination with several pairs of developed buds, which will ensure normal rooting and growth of the bush.
Disembarkation period: what is important to consider when choosing
Before studying the information on how to plant lilacs, it is necessary to choose the right season for planting, it is better to do this in early spring, immediately after the frozen soil thaws, which will ensure good rooting and strengthening the horse system even before the hot summer.
For the timely and proper development of flowers, the lilac needs additional, but not complicated care, if planting is carried out in the fall, it is important to take care of the shelter of the rooted cutting and its mandatory protection, for which covering material is used.
How to choose the right landing site
To make it easier to understand how to care for lilacs and facilitate the care process, it is important to choose the right landing site, the shrub will bloom luxuriantly in good light, but in the hot season it will need shelter from the scorching sun.
It is better to plant a bush on hills where cold air does not accumulate, providing a prepared drainage system to remove excess moisture and not using dressing mixtures for additional soil fertilization, especially acidified.
Self-planting lilac bushes
Having decided when to plant lilacs, you can start the event by selecting evening time days or cloudy weather, which will favorably affect the rooting of the plant, the pit for planting should be larger than the already formed root system.
After filling up the pit with a seedling, it is important to tamp the soil and water it until moisture is completely absorbed, one bucket of water per bush is enough for good moistening, after the soil dries out, it can be loosened no deeper than 5-7 cm, to avoid oxygen starvation.
Fertilizers for rooting and growth of bushes
An ornamental shrub is not picky about fertilizers, but knowing how to feed the lilac after flowering, you can lay the foundation for it. good development and subsequent vegetation, so it is better to fertilize the soil with a cut.
For this, organic fertilizers or composite mixtures with a certain content of nitrogen-potassium compounds are used, but it is important to avoid increasing the acidic environment in the soil, which can lead to weakening or death of the root system that feeds the entire bush and affects the formation of color.
Proper holding of a plant sample
Cultivated lilac, the care of which is not complicated enough, requires mandatory pruning, for this two types of spring and summer procedures are used, in spring it is carried out before flowering and includes cutting branches and shoots.
In summer, after complete flowering, empty inflorescences with seeds are cut off, it is not recommended to cut thick branches, this can cause the development of various diseases, which will lead to the death of the entire bush, it is also necessary to carefully work with shoots that will not be frost-resistant after cutting.
Crown shaping: features and techniques
Novice gardeners really like lilac, planting and care in the open field do not require special efforts, and the lush flowering of the plant pleases the eye and helps to decorate the site, but to give it beauty, it is necessary to properly form the crown.
In this case, side shoot cutting techniques are used, thanks to which it is possible to form a lush shrub, single-trunk tree or hedge from a densely growing lilac, while pruning should not be abused, it can cause the active development of lateral non-flowering shoots.
Getting rid of diseases and pests is very simple, for this, preventive treatments are regularly carried out with special solutions, and garden lilacs, planting and caring for which will be a real pleasure, will delight you with lush flowering at the end of spring.
Lilac planting photo
