How to Trim Your Lilacs
One of the most frequent questions that I’ve received from neighbors over the years is “why are your lilacs so full of flowers and mine aren’t”? This common question usually has a very simple answer, “it’s all about the pruning”! As the conversation progresses I inevitably seem to find out that they decided that the lilac needed to be pruned to keep a certain shape and this trimming was done during the summer because the shrub was growing so fast. Unfortunately, this haircut took off a lot more than just a few out of place branches.
If you want your lilac to have a lot of flowers the most important thing you need to know is how to prune it. The first thing to keep in mind is the timing of when you trim the plant. To maximize the number of blooms you need to prune the plant immediately after it flowers. Once a lilac starts growing after the flowering has ended it is already beginning the process of setting next year’s flower buds. If you wait too long to trim the plant you are literally cutting next year’s blooms right off. Lilacs can grow to be 15 to 20 feet tall if they are not routinely trimmed so if you want to shape the plant and keep it at a reasonable height of say 7 to 8 feet tall than do your trimming in the spring right after flowering.
Ok, so you’ve done your trimming right after flowering that means you’re finished with this task, right? With many plants you would be correct but in the case of lilacs and a few other shrubs such as forsythia, the plant benefits from what is known as thinning. The process of thinning involves removing roughly 1/3 of the stems each year to encourage the plant to continue to produce new ones. This is needed as the lilac flowers appear on new growth and without this the flowering will not be what it could and should be.
You want to be sure you take no more than 1/3 of the stems as taking too much could impair the plants ability to maintain its strength. When thinning a lilac I look for woody stems that are 2” in diameter or greater and remove those first. You should also remove any dead or diseased stems, I once found a stem with a huge hole in it from who knows what bug. Finally remove stems that cross in front of and rub each other as this can damage the bark and allow a foothold for insects. While the lilac may look a little “thin in the skin” after pruning in a few weeks you should see a lot of new growth coming up from the bottom of the plant.
One final note for you is if you are taking on the task of rejuvenating a lilac that has been neglected over the years a lot of patience is in order. You can return this plant to its former glory but it is likely to take 3 years of thinning and pruning (remember you only take up to 1/3 of the plant stems each year) to restore the plants strength and vigor. It’s a lot of work and takes time but when you smell that lilac bloom in the spring it makes it all worthwhile!
mo-sands@hotmail.com May 12
Are there plants that should not be prune after the flowering period?
Thank you
It is difficult to give an accurate answer. So much depends upon the specific plant you are talking about. The answer is different for perennials vs. flowering shrubs, etc. Typically, if we are talking about flowering shrubs, if the plant is an early spring blooming plant it should be pruned back immediately after it blooms or you run the risk of cutting next year’s blooms off. Shrubs that flower in the summer and fall can be pruned either late in the fall when they go dormant or early in the spring before the leaves break out.
Peggy@garvin.com May 16
Thanks! Good info.
You’re welcome. Glad it was helpful.
jelster@hotmail.com May 18
Didn’t know that you needed to prune lilacs or forsythia plants. Great to know how to do it and to engage only 1/3 of plant and only old wood. Minor work on plants under 3-4 years.
Glad to hear you found this information helpful. Thanks for your comment.
celestialsue@aol.com Apr 15
Thank you very helpful
We appreciate the feedback!
Mdailing76@icloud.com Apr 16
I live in Kansas.. so I have my lilacin bloom now.. Do I need to prune them now?
You should trim them as soon as they finish flowering. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
bsf1005@gmail.com Jul 27
This past spring is the first time my lilac bloomed. It’s approximate age is 4yrs old. I didn’t prune it. So guess I should wait until next year after it blooms. Good to know about the 1/3 thinning.
Yes, that sounds good. Sounds like this article was of help to you. Thanks for visiting our site and sharing your information.