How to prune a lilac bush?
Summary
Pruning lilac bushes involves timing and technique, depending on your goals. Our forum users say that pruning at the right time is key to maintaining blooms, and it's generally recommended to prune lilacs after they bloom, usually around June. However, they also suggest that you consider what you're trying to achieve with pruning, whether it's maintaining size, rejuvenating an older shrub, or something else, before you begin. Forum users also agree that removing dead or unproductive wood can benefit the plant, even if it means sacrificing some buds.
Here's what our forum users are saying about pruning lilac bushes:
- "Trim them after they bloom... If you prune them now you will loose any type of flowering for this spring. If you wait more than a month after they've bloomed than next years flowering buds will be removed." -- Mark Bogart, Lawnsite.com
- "You will most likely remove some of the buds for next year if you prune now... What I would do is explain this to the customer, and then tell them that you will do a light pruning now just to neaten them up, and then next spring when they are done blooming, go ahead and prune them hard." -- OrganicsMaine, Lawnsite.com
- "Depending on what they are like/ Even at this time, if you are taking out some of the older wood that doesn't produce that well, many times the benefits outweigh the few buds taken off would produce. It is the thinner, younger, more viable chutes that produce more. take the old stuff out, and it's that much more energy going to the good stuff." -- terrapro, Lawnsite.com
- "Remember to look at the overall structure of a plant before you prune. If you wreck the structure now it will [B]never[/B] be prize plant material." -- terrapro, Lawnsite.com
- "How you prune lilacs is just as important as when. What are you trying to accomplish; maintain or reduce current size, rejuvenate an old shrub, etc?" -- phasthound, Lawnsite.com
Post Mentions
- Trim them after they bloom. Here in Colorado that's usually in June. If you prune them now you will loose any type of flowering for this spring. If you wait more than a month after they've bloomed than next years flowering buds will be removed. My experience with lilacs is you can basically...
- How you prune lilacs is just as important as when. What are you trying to accomplish; maintain or reduce current size, rejuvenate an old shrub, etc?
- Yep what runner said. Take the dead out and do some light structural pruning. You will be good to go for a heavy trimming next year. Remember to look at the overall structure of a plant before you prune. If you wreck the structure now it will never be prize plant material.
- You will most likely remove some of the buds for next year if you prune now. What I would do is explain this to the customer, and then tell them that you will do a light pruning now just to neaten them up, and then next spring when they are done blooming, go ahead and prune them hard. If your...
- Hi Phast, the bushes are 4 yrs old, healthy and tall. The customer wanted them to stay tall. I already pruned them, removing the dead wood and some of the older outside stalks to keep them growing tall. I think I did it right. Thx for replying.
- Lilacs have more sucker roots than you can shake a stick at. You can cut out the original trunk and let the new lilacs take over. Even prune them like a hedge.
- After the flowers go by is time to cut forsythia Thumbs Up Burning bush is a toss up from bare wood but can be hard pruned Dogwood is tree pruning.
- Help. I'm in upper CT . I have some healthy lilac bushes that i've been asked to prune, but i'm not sure how long since the blooms died. I'm way afraid of killing any new blooms for next year. I know you're supposed to deadhead them as soon as they die off. I'm thinking maybe I should just leave...
- Is it a Japanese tree lilac or is it a lilac bush? Do you want to cut it down completely or just reduce the height?
- Thank you all! I always get good solid advice here and it really is invaluable to a newbie like myself. Thx again:clapping:
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- Help. I'm in upper CT . I have some healthy lilac bushes that i've been asked to prune, but i'm not sure how long since the blooms died. I'm way afraid of killing any new blooms for next year. I know you're supposed to deadhead them as soon as they die off. I'm thinking maybe I should just leave...
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