Here’s Your Guide to Fertilizing and Taking Care of Lilacs + How to Get Lilacs to Bloom

Planting flowers and trees is a fulfilling and meaningful hobby for many people who value nature. Besides, it has a relaxing effect on your nervous system. Lilacs are spring bloomers and smell amazing. This is why they’re among the most favorite flowers to take care of. Besides, they are so tough that they may grow for 100 years and more. Yet, the question is how to fertilize lilacs the right way? This is really important for the health and appearance of all kinds of plants. Then, how to take care of lilacs? If you want to find the answers to these questions, keep on reading this article. We will help you get lilacs to bloom!

What is the Best Natural Fertilizer for Lilacs?

Since there are different alternatives, you might be wondering what fertilizer to use for lilac bushes. We strongly recommend bone meal – a natural food for flowers and plants. It has two main benefits – it is known to be easily absorbed by lilacs, and it improves the condition of the soil. These two factors should be taken into account. Lilacs love sweet soil, so the types of trees in their environment are important. Keep in mind, though, that fertilization isn’t mandatory after the first two years of planting the flower. In fact, over-fertilization may impede the blooming process.

How to Take Care of Lilacs?

As you probably know, taking care of any flower is a process that takes time and devotion. There are specific things that you need to do each season, on a regular basis. Fortunately, when it comes to planting and growing lilacs, they are relatively easy to handle. So, in case you are a busy person, you don’t need to waste much time. The best thing is that lilacs are edible – so you can use them in your tea or syrup, for example. You should know that this kind of plant attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. This is thanks to the irresistible and unmistakable fragrance. Lilacs come in a variety of different colors – blue, white, lavender, pink, etc. The most popular type of lilac is called Syringa vulgaris (tree lilac). Below, we’ll share with you more about taking proper care of this beautiful plant.

Also read: Top 7 Fall Potted Plants That Attract Hummingbirds

Where and How to Grow Lilacs?

This is the first and most important question. If you make a mistake in the beginning of the process of growing lilacs, the end result might not be the one you were hoping for. Lilacs are suitable for all kinds of gardens. You definitely need a sunny area, since they thrive and bloom in such environment. This flower thrives in a well-drained soil. In terms of the most suitable time to plant it, you can choose between early spring or fall. The reason being is that the ground shouldn’t be frozen. Typically, lilac flowers tend to grow by about 12–24 inches (30-60 cm) each year.

How to Prune Lilacs?

Don’t they look amazing? Lilacs can be a valuable addition to any home garden or yard. An important part of taking care of lilacs, is regular and proper pruning. So, how to prune lilacs? The goal is to remove all dead and damaged branches in order to make space for new ones to grow. Also, if there are any abnormal branches, you should cut them immediately. In terms of tools, we recommend to use clippers for the best possible results. It is important to wait for the flower to fully bloom before pruning. It’s also not necessary to prune your lilacs every year. Here’s a tip from us – for better air circulation and more light, trim parts of the inner branches of lilacs.

How to Get Lilacs to Bloom?

There are many reasons why your lilacs might not be blooming. Do not worry, though, this is a common problem and there are effective solutions. So, let’s get back to the reasons. The first one is improper pruning. In case you have not pruned the flowers in the last 5 years, you cannot expect them to be healthy and blooming. This is why we gave you some advice on this subject. Another thing could be insufficient light or watering. On the other hand, the soil might contain way too much nitrogen. So, what measures can you take? You could add some phosphorus in the soil and check for presence of pests in the branches.

In a nutshell, lilacs are beautiful plants that provide a truly irresistible scent. I can’t think of a person who doesn’t love them. Besides, they are so beautiful and sweet. Yet, planting and maintaining a flower in a good condition is a process that takes effort and time. In this article, we discussed how to fertilize, prune, and take proper care of lilacs so that they grow healthy. We hope that you are now equipped with all the necessary information to plant this beautiful flower.