Is it possible to grow lilacs in a small bush? Lilac - planting and care in open ground

Lilac is flowering shrub with lush clusters of delicate flowers, delighting with an equally delicate and delicate aroma. This plant lends itself well to pruning, which allows you to decorate the area with single decorative forms, and groups, and even living fences.

Where to plant lilacs

Better conditions for lilac are as follows: flat place; the soil is moist, with good drainage and acidity values ​​close to neutral; passing groundwater at least one and a half meters from the surface; sunlit most of the day; shelter from drafts.

Lilacs do not grow in marshy or frequently flooded areas. In these cases, if there is no other possibility, it is planted on hills built like an alpine hill. Before planting, acidic soil must be treated with lime or. dolomite flour Lilac tolerates partial shade, but in the shade it weakens, growth and development slows down, blooms poorly and not abundantly.

But in a illuminated place it is a bright shrub with lush greenery, strong shoots and many inflorescences.

In areas exposed 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 tall perennial plants.

When and how to plant lilacs Lilac takes root well; all it needs is compliance with planting conditions, healthy planting material and attentive care.

Did you know?

One day, the ancient Greek goat-like god Pan became inflamed with feelings for the nymph Syringa. The beauty ran away in fright, without responding to Pan's sympathy. Fleeing from Pan who was pursuing her, Syringa stopped at a river that blocked her path. She called on the river god for help, and he turned her into a lush bush with delicate lilac flowers. Since then, lilac has been called the name of a beautiful nymph. Optimal time to plant shrubs

The best time to plant lilacs is August-September.

The solution to the question: how to grow lilacs on a plot begins with choosing 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 either grafted or self-rooted, and the height 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; root system 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 up with a clod of earth.

Lilac planting scheme

When planting, first, sort out the hole for the seedling: in fertile soil, the depth of the hole is equal to the length of the roots (up to 30 cm); on poor soils, the hole measures a meter by a meter. Place drainage at the bottom of the hole (brick fragments, large pebbles), fertilize with soil mixed with humus (15 kg), wood ash (200 g), and superphosphate (30 g).

Plant the bush with the roots spread out; leave the root collar at ground level, if you do not want a lot of root shoots to develop, 2 cm above the ground level. If you plan to propagate by shoots, on the contrary, deepen the root collar. Sprinkle the seedling with soil, compact it around the trunk and water. After the soil has absorbed water, mulch with peat or other material.

How and what to feed lilacs

If the soil was well fertilized when planting, fertilizing is not needed in the first 2-3 years. Next, to stimulate growth, fertilizing lilacs in the spring is carried out with nitrogen compounds, for better flowering– phosphorus. Once every 2 years, feed with potassium fertilizers after flowering.

Important! Nitrogen mineral fertilizers are contraindicated in the second part of the growing season. You cannot overdo it with nitrogen: lilacs bloom worse, they send out more shoots, which do not have time to grow stronger and freeze slightly in winter.

Do not overuse organic nitrogen fertilizers for lilacs in the spring: manure, chicken droppings– this will also affect flowering.

Watering lilacs is necessary in the first year after planting for good survival of seedlings. Adult bushes are watered only during dry periods.

Rules for pruning lilacs, whether it needs to be pruned

Lilac pruning is necessary to keep the bushes neat and elegant. As the lilac fades, it partially loses its attractiveness. By nature, the shoots of the bush grow too quickly and a little sloppy: in all directions, becoming very thick.

When is lilac pruning necessary? Optimal time In summer, only damaged or useless shoots are removed. The calendar will tell you when to prune lilacs: in summer, the results of pruning can be used as cuttings or scion. After the flowering period, dry inflorescences are carefully removed, trying not to damage the leaves. Broken and dried branches can be removed from the bush during the entire period of development - flowering. Grafted plants are cleaned mainly of abundant wild growth.

Attention! It is not recommended to form lilac bushes in the fall - in winter the branch that has not healed from the cut will freeze.

How to prune correctly

Forming a bush “naturally” will look good against the background rustic style in the garden. To form such a crown, a base is created. The bush is formed from 3 - 4 stem branches, removing in the first year all crookedly growing branches and directed inward. If 2 branches of approximately equal 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 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 the buds, from which shoots that form a shape will grow.

The main task this year is to grow the crown evenly, without voids and chaotic directions. Once this is done, trimming is stopped. Next, you need to maintain its shape, sometimes removing damaged branches or unnecessary shoots growing inward.

If there are a lot of bushes, the formation can be made simpler. 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 trim 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 grow from these buds form the same way as a bush, laying the foundation of the crown from them. Next, you need to cut off all the shoots in the trunk area and thin out the crown.

Lilac propagation

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 from the Austrian Emperor. The Austrian autocrat brought a lilac bush from Istanbul. Lilac became one of the Queen's favorite flowers.

Seeds

Seeds need to be stratified: sprinkle with wet sand, pour into containers with holes in the bottom and place for 2 months in a room with a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees Celsius. In March, they are sown in a box with steamed soil (to prevent diseases). Depending on the variety, seedlings appear after 10 days or 2-3 months.

When the second pair of leaves is formed, the sprouts are planted in seedling boxes at a distance of 3 cm. They are planted in open ground in May.

You can sow before winter in a snowy crust. The seeds are buried 1.5 cm into the soil, and in the spring they are planted in boxes and grown.

Cuttings Cutting lilacs with lignified shoots does not give results; this is rather an exception to the rule.

Let's consider propagation by green shoots. Cuttings are prepared at the beginning of flowering. The cutting should have 1 internode and 2 buds. The lower cut is made 1 cm away from the bud, the leaves are removed. For better rooting, treat with a growth stimulator before planting. Plant at a depth of 1 cm.

Lilac propagation by cuttings in the spring is also possible at home: you can root it in a container with a transparent lid. To do this, prepare nutritious soil and coarse sand. The temperature should be maintained between 25-28 degrees Celsius. Spray the sprouts daily with water from a spray bottle. After a month, roots will form, and in the fall you can plant them in the ground, protecting them from freezing.

Root shoots

The first shoots are separated in early June before the shoots turn brown. Before separation, 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. Place wet sand or peat at the bottom of the picking box, plant the seedlings there and spray with water. Then plant in a cold greenhouse at a distance of 5 cm. For the first 7 days, the plants are under 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 on permanent place

. Care consists of maintaining soil moisture and thinning if necessary. The soil around the tree trunks is mulched.

Mass flowering of such bushes begins at 5-7 years of age. Despite the late flowering, this method of propagation gives the shrub longevity.

Vaccination

There are several methods of vaccination, let's talk about the most common ones.- This is a method when the tissues of the scion and rootstock most closely match. The shoots of the rootstock and scion should have the same thickness. Copulation is carried out at the root collar into a standard at the selected height and into the crown. Each branch of the backbone is grafted separately. At correct execution action, after 2.5 months the scion grows together.

Simple copulation or oblique cut carried out before the onset of sap flow. The cuttings are cut at an angle of 45 degrees to 2 cm in length, and the rootstock is also cut. The scion is pressed to the rootstock and tied tightly.

English copulation. The cuts are made at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the branches. To increase the contact area and connect the scion and rootstock more tightly and firmly, longitudinal cuts are made on both sections.

With the onset of spring, lilac is one of the first plants that pleases the eye with its beautiful blooms. It is also to the liking of many gardeners who want to decorate their summer cottage with it. The name of this shrub is translated from Greek as “pipe”. The frequency of lilac flowering depends on its type. Thus, its most common variety, Primrose, begins to bloom at the end of May. Lilac is a plant from the olive family. The bush has many trunks. Each of them can reach a height of 7-7.5 m. Today there are about 35 species of this shrub. We will tell you more about the varieties of lilac, planting and caring for this plant below.

Lilac is a beautiful flowering shrub that is used for group and single plantings in city parks and garden plots. Lilac tolerates pruning and shaping, so it can be used to make hedges.

Planting common lilac

The optimal planting time depends on the form in which the seedling goes on sale. The best time to plant bare-rooted seedlings is early autumn. Planting lilacs in the fall should be completed before the end of September.

Lilac leaves are preserved green color before frost, so on a seedling intended for autumn planting, they should be green. If a lilac seedling without leaves is a bad sign, which means that the planting period has passed. It needs to be placed in a trench until spring, as is done with fruit tree seedlings.

The timing of planting lilacs in the spring is compressed. You need to have time to get the seedling out of the trench and plant it in a permanent place before the buds open, so it’s better to prepare the hole in the fall - then you won’t have to dig into the frozen soil with a shovel. Planting lilacs in summer is possible if you purchase a seedling in a container.

Lilacs take root if you don’t make mistakes when planting:

1. Failure to meet deadlines.
2. Planting in acidic, structureless clay soil.
3. Planting in deep shade.
4. Planting in a wetland or temporarily flooded area in a lowland.

Lilac loves light, but it will not die even in partial shade, and will not bloom as magnificently as in the sun. As for the quality of the soil, this plant grows freely even on poor, uncultivated land. But better plant feels on fertile loose soil with a reaction close to neutral.

Lilac does not tolerate flooding and soils with a soil solution reaction below 5.5, on which the leaves turn yellow and crumble. To successfully plant lilacs, the soil must be breathable.

How to plant lilacs:

1. They dig a hole. The less cultivated the soil, the bigger size there must be a hole. The free space in the hole is filled with fertile soil mixed with a small amount of compost or peat - up to 1/4 of the volume of the soil. In old gardens, you can dig small holes for lilacs - just enough to fit the roots of the seedling.
2. The grafted lilac is planted so that the grafting site is at soil level. The grafting should not end up in the soil so that the plant does not transfer to its roots. An exception will be seedlings grafted onto Hungarian lilac or privet, which are planted with deep grafting to make them more durable.
3. When planting, rooted lilacs are buried so that additional roots are formed.
4. The roots are covered with fertile soil and trampled down the soil with your foot, forming a hole near the trunk. First you need to make sure that the root collar is at the right level.
5. The hole is generously filled with water.

Planting of Hungarian lilac, as well as Persian and Amur, follows the same rules as in the case of common lilac.

How to care for lilacs

Caring for lilacs is no different from caring for most winter-hardy plants. ornamental shrubs. Lilac tolerates cold, so it does not have to be insulated for the winter. Only in young grafted plants in the year of planting can the tree trunk circles be mulched with a thick layer of fallen leaves.

After planting, the plant is watered abundantly until it begins to grow. Watering lilacs is needed only when necessary - in the heat. Autumn water-recharging watering is not carried out for lilacs.

In the first years, until the lilac blooms, no fertilizer is applied to it. Plants need enough organic matter added to planting holes. Young bushes need loosening the soil, weeding and watering.

The lilac bush begins to bloom in the third year. Then you can start annual feeding. Mineral fertilizers will make the brushes larger, brighter and more fragrant, and increase their number.

In the spring, before flowering, you need to have time to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle at least once and feed the plant with any complex mineral fertilizer that is soluble in water. The roots of lilacs are located superficially, so you need to loosen the soil carefully and shallowly.

Potassium makes the plant winter-hardy. After potassium feeding, the flower buds tolerate frost well, do not freeze, and the bush blooms profusely in the spring. Potassium is added along with phosphorus at the rate of 3 tbsp. on a large mature bush.

In the future, they are limited to sanitary pruning, cutting out in early spring twigs growing inside the crown, dried out over the winter and damaged by pests. If necessary sanitary pruning can be carried out at any time during the growing season. Wild shoots are removed from grafted lilacs in the spring.

When the lilac blooms, without damaging the plant, you can cut off more than half of the flowering shoots and use them to create bouquets. If you do not cut them, then next year fewer shoots will form and flowering will be weak. It is better to immediately remove faded brushes from the branches with pruning shears so that they do not spoil the appearance of the bush.

It is better to cut lilac flowers early in the morning, before the dew dries. To keep the flowers in water longer, the ends of the shoots should be split with a hammer or knife.

A bush older than 10 years can be rejuvenated by removing one skeletal branch per year. New skeletal branches are formed from dormant buds, which will bloom on the trunk next to the marks from the cut branches.

In the form of a tree

1. Immediately after planting, remove all side branches, if any.
2. When the seedling begins to grow, all its side branches are removed while they are green and weak, leaving a stem growing upward.
3. When the stem reaches the desired height - in the second year, its top is pinched. Afterwards it will stop growing upward and become a standard.
4. After pinching the top, dormant buds will awaken in the upper part of the trunk, from which several shoots will begin to grow upward. Of these, you can leave as many as the number of skeletal branches expected for the future tree.

Among all the spring flowers, lilac stands out - a lush ornamental shrub that even novice gardeners can grow. Planting lilacs in open ground is not difficult, and the crop itself does not require special care, so this ornamental shrub is grown in a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions, and is also used for landscaping cities.

If you want to decorate your site with a lush bush of fragrant lilac, we recommend that you read this article. In it you will find a lot useful tips on planting, caring and growing lilacs in open ground, as well as about methods of propagation of shrubs.

Where to plant lilacs

First of all, you need to choose the right place to plant. Lilac is an unpretentious crop, but does not tolerate excess humidity. In such conditions, the roots begin to rot, and even an adult shrub may die. That is why planting in swampy lowlands or areas that are regularly flooded with water is not recommended. In addition, it is not advisable to plant shrubs in the shade of large trees or close to buildings. Such a neighborhood will not only create unwanted shadow, but also increase soil moisture.

It is also recommended to choose areas with slightly acidic or neutral soils. They contain a sufficient amount of humus for the development of seedlings. When choosing a place for planting, be guided not only by the quality of the soil and its moisture content, but also by the illumination of the area. Lilac loves sunlight, but does not tolerate drafts well, so it should be planted in sunny, but protected from strong wind places.

How to choose planting material

The choice of the seedling itself plays an equally important role. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the root system: it should be strong and branched, and its diameter should be about 30 cm.

Note: It is better to buy planting material in specialized stores, and not from hand. This way you will be confident in the quality and health of the seedlings.

At the time of purchase, you can conduct a small check on the viability of the plant. You need to select a thin small root and bend it. If it breaks and darkens, it means the root has dried out and such a bush will not take root.

You can also check the quality of the seedling by the condition of its bark. If you lightly scratch it with your finger, a green mark should remain. A brown or gray surface indicates that the seedling is sick and should not be purchased.

Healthy and strong trees reach a height of half a meter or more, and also have from 3 to 6 skeletal branches (Figure 1).

When to plant lilacs

Many people mistakenly believe that the best time to plant any garden crops, including lilacs, is spring. In fact, this ornamental shrub is best planted in the ground in late summer or early autumn. In such conditions, the tree will have time to take root and grow stronger before the onset of cold weather.

But, if you bought a seedling with an open root system in the spring, and the buds have not yet bloomed on it, you can plant it at this time. The main thing is to prevent the buds from awakening, since planting during such a period can greatly weaken the shrub and even lead to its death.

Planting can also be done in mid-July, when the shrub has already bloomed and is preparing for a dormant period. But the best time is September, and it is advisable to carry out the procedure before the middle of the month, when the daytime temperature is quite high and there is no danger of night frosts.

Planting in autumn

In the fall, it is advisable to complete planting before mid-September so that the seedlings have time to take root before the onset of cold weather. During this period it is still quite warm and there are no night frosts, so the risk of young plants freezing is almost minimal.

The planting technology includes several stages. First, you need to clear the area of ​​weeds and roots of other plants. Secondly, it is necessary to prepare pits with vertical walls up to 50 cm deep.

Note: If you plan to plant several bushes, it is better to place them at a distance of 2-3 meters from each other so that the roots can develop normally.

A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the hole and filled with fertile soil consisting of compost or rotted manure (about 20 kg) per plant, 20 grams of superphosphate and a glass of wood ash. The resulting mixture must be poured into a mound, in the center of which a seedling is placed and its roots are straightened. The plant must be deepened into the soil so that its root collar is a few centimeters above the surface. Next, you need to water the soil well, and when the water is absorbed, mulch with any organic material (Figure 2).

Planting in the ground in spring

Spring is not considered the most best time for this procedure, since during this period it is easy to miss the right moment for disembarkation. It is important that the buds on the seedling do not awaken before planting, but if this has already happened, the procedure is postponed until the end of summer.

Note: It is precisely because of the chance of missing the right time for planting that it is recommended to buy seedlings with a closed root system, since they can be successfully stored for several months.

Regardless of the period, you need to properly prepare the soil: clear the area of ​​weeds, dig it up and prepare a nutrient substrate from humus, superphosphate and wood ash.

It is also necessary to inspect the seedlings themselves and remove all damaged and dry parts of the roots. In addition, it is advisable to place the roots in a solution of a root-forming preparation for several hours to stimulate the acclimatization of the plant in a new place.

It is best to choose a cloudy day or evening time for planting seedlings. After preparing the planting material, they begin directly to gardening work.

The classic lilac planting scheme looks like this:

• Dig a hole measuring 50*50 cm.
• Nutrient soil from the hole is mixed with compost or humus, superphosphate and wood ash. In total you will need about 20 kg of organic matter, 20 grams mineral fertilizer and 300 grams of ash per plant. But, if the soil on the site is acidic, the amount of ash must be doubled.
• A layer of broken brick is placed at the bottom of the hole, which will act as drainage. A nutrient substrate is poured on top, forming a small mound from it.
• A prepared seedling is placed on a mound, its root system is straightened and it is deepened into the soil so that the root collar protrudes 3-4 cm above the soil surface.
• The hole is filled with soil mixture, lightly compacted and watered abundantly.

It is necessary to wait until the water is completely absorbed into the soil and mulch the bed. This will maintain optimal soil moisture and prevent weeds from growing, which significantly slow down the growth of young shrubs.

Step-by-step planting instructions are given in the video.

Distance between lilacs when planting

This ornamental shrub provides wide scope for imagination when decorating a garden. It can be planted either singly or in groups, but if you want to form strong and beautiful bushes, it is better to maintain a distance of 2-3 meters between individual seedlings (Figure 3).

In some cases, they even create hedges from lilacs, but in this case the plants will need more careful feeding. If you have the opportunity to maintain the optimal distance between plants, you won’t have to actively fertilize the lilac, since it will receive all the necessary nutrients from the soil.

Bouquet planting

This method of placing shrubs is practiced quite rarely. The fact is that during bouquet planting, the seedlings are located very close to each other, sometimes in the same hole. This allows you to create lush plantings, but caring for mature bushes will be difficult, especially for novice gardeners.

In addition, when placing a bouquet, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the varieties. As a rule, low-growing varieties are used for this purpose (Figure 4). Tall trees cannot be planted in this way, especially in combination with low-growing species.

Planting lilacs with a closed root system

Seedlings with a closed root system have one important advantage compared to conventional planting material. Since such plants are sold in special pots, they can be planted at almost any time of the year: from early spring to autumn.

Most varieties are resistant to drought and cold, but do not tolerate stagnation of moisture at the roots. Therefore, you should carefully choose a planting site. It should be well lit, but at the same time closed from cold winds and drafts. In addition, it is better to choose areas with loose, fertile soil.

Note: If the soil on your site does not meet these requirements, you need to dig holes, remove the soil and replace it with a special fertile soil mixture.

The depth and diameter of the planting hole should be approximately 50 cm. It is important that the walls of the hole are vertical. It is advisable to place individual plants 2 meters apart so that they can develop a strong root system as they grow.

The bottom of the hole is filled with a nutrient soil mixture, forming a small mound from it. A seedling is placed vertically in its center, its roots are straightened and sprinkled with the remaining soil. In this case, it is important that the root collar protrudes several centimeters above the soil surface. After this, the soil around the plant must be thoroughly compacted, watered, and after moisture has been absorbed, mulched with peat or sawdust to prevent moisture evaporation and weed growth.

How and what to feed lilacs

Despite the fact that lilac is very demanding on soil moisture and fertility, special care she doesn't demand it. In summer, the soil is watered as it dries, using up to 30 liters of liquid per bush, and the soil is also loosened several times to remove weeds.

Feeding depends on the age of the plant. During the first two or three years, young specimens are fed only with a small amount of nitrogen fertilizers, and from the second year they begin to apply urea or ammonium nitrate (50 grams for each bush).

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers need to be applied once every 2-3 years. They can simply be scattered over the surface of the soil, and then watered abundantly. They are also considered effective organic fertilizers, for example, slurry (1 part cow dung to 5 parts water).

Rules for pruning lilacs, whether it needs to be pruned

This ornamental shrub needs pruning just like other plants in the garden. But this process also has its own characteristics. For example, bushes under two years old are not pruned at all, since not all of their skeletal branches have yet formed. The formation of the crown begins only from the third year, and this process takes several years (Figure 5).

It is better to prune in early spring, before the sap begins to flow and the buds awaken. To do this, select 5-7 strong and beautiful branches located at an equal distance from each other. The remaining shoots and root shoots are removed. Next spring, cut off half of the flowering branches. At the same time, the remaining shoots are also shortened, leaving no more than 8 buds on them. This will help form a lush and strong bush.

Note: Simultaneously with formative pruning, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing all dry or damaged branches, as well as shoots with signs of disease.

Lilac can be formed not only in the form of a bush, but also a small tree. To do this, you need to select a seedling with a vertical, straight trunk and, after planting, slightly shorten it (to the height of the trunk). As the side branches grow, skeletal shoots form, leaving 5-6 of the strongest specimens, extending to the sides. At the same time, the crown is cleared of shoots growing inward and root growth. Gradually, the skeletal branches will get stronger, and further pruning will only include sanitary measures and regular thinning of the crown.

Lilac propagation

There are several ways to replenish the number of plants in the garden with new planting material. For this purpose, methods of cuttings, grafting, as well as growing from seeds and cuttings are used.

Each method has its own characteristics, so let’s take a closer look at the key points of each of them.

Seeds

Seed propagation is used in specialized nurseries to obtain planting material of a certain variety. Some wild varieties are also grown using the same method.

After collecting the seeds, they are stratified for two months by wrapping them in a damp cloth and placing them in the refrigerator. Sowing is carried out in spring or autumn, and after several true leaves appear, seedlings are planted in separate containers.

Growing a full-fledged seedling from seeds is difficult, since this process takes too much time. Therefore, at home it is better to use cuttings or propagation by cuttings and grafting.

Cuttings

Despite the fact that the cutting method is considered one of the best, certain difficulties still exist during its implementation. The main difficulty is that lilac cuttings take a long time to take root, so they need to be harvested during the most active period of the bush’s life - during flowering or immediately after its completion (Figure 6).

In addition, you need to choose the right source material. To do this, choose young, non-lignified shoots located inside the crown. They should have 2-3 internodes or nodes, and it is best to cut the branches in the morning.

The lower cut of the cutting should be oblique, and the upper cut should be straight. The lower end is freed from leaves and immersed in a solution of a root-forming preparation for 16 hours. After this, the planting material is placed in a container with peat or sandy soil at such a distance that their leaves do not touch. Next, you need to spray the sprouts with water and cover with a jar. The container must be moved to the shade and periodically inspected, preventing the soil from drying out.

The first roots will appear in about 2-3 months. From this point on, you need to regularly remove the shelter for ventilation. Planting can be done in mid-summer if the sprouts have managed to form a normal root system. But, if this happened in the fall, you should leave the cuttings until spring.

You will find useful tips on cutting shrubs in the video.

Root shoots

Reproduction by root shoots (offshoots) is also considered effective method obtaining high-quality planting material. To do this, in the spring you need to select a young shoot that has not yet had time to become woody, and pull it over copper wire at the base and at a distance of 80 cm.

Note: When pulling a shoot, it is important not to damage its bark, as in this case the cuttings may not take root.

Next, the prepared branch is placed in a shallow groove (no more than 2 cm), and the top is left on the surface. To prevent the shoot from being pushed to the surface, it must be secured with pins. During the summer, the cuttings are regularly watered and weeds are removed around them (Figure 7).

When the shoots formed on the branch reach a height of 15 cm, hilling is carried out to approximately half the height of the shoots. As the branches grow, the soil is replenished, and with the onset of cold weather, the cuttings are separated from the mother bush and cut into several parts so that each of them retains part of the roots. After this, they can be transplanted to a permanent place, but for the winter it is necessary to arrange a shelter made of pine needles.

Vaccination

Growing new planting material by grafting is a rather complex process for which the gardener needs to have certain skills. But you can immediately get a large number of seedlings of equal height.

For grafting, cuttings or budding are used, and privet or a Hungarian variety of shrub is used as a rootstock. To do this, use the method of budding a sleeping or awakening bud (in summer or spring). In the second half of June, they begin to prepare the rootstock: remove all root shoots and shorten the side shoots so that their height does not exceed 15 cm (Figure 8).

Note: Pruning immediately before budding cannot be carried out, since the wound will not have time to heal and the seedling will be too weak.

Before vaccination, abundant watering is carried out for 5-6 days, and before the procedure, the bud attachment site is thoroughly wiped with a damp, clean cloth. A T-shaped cut up to 3 cm long is made on the rootstock at a level of 3-5 cm from the ground level, the bark is carefully lifted and a bud or cutting is inserted into the resulting hole. After this, the branch must be carefully rewound with electrical tape or film to secure it.

When is it better to plant lilacs: in spring or autumn?

There are many opinions regarding best timing for planting lilacs. In fact, planting can be carried out from spring to autumn, but certain rules must be followed.

Firstly, if you are planning a spring planting, it must be completed before the sap begins to flow and the buds awaken.

Secondly, when summer planting preference should be given to mid-July. At this time, the bushes begin to prepare for the dormant period and tolerate replanting normally.

If you have chosen autumn as the planting period, it is carried out until mid-September. During this period it is still quite warm and there are no night frosts, so the seedlings will have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.

For a long time, lilac has been one of the most beloved ornamental shrubs, which is widespread in our gardens and parks, requiring very little care when growing. Charming and lush lilac clusters come in white, pink, purple and blue, and come in single and double shapes. It blooms in late May - early June. At this time, the garden is filled with a pleasant aroma and looks festive and romantic.

The main thing is to choose right place for landing it on summer cottage, prepare and fill landing hole and plant according to the recommendations, which you can read below.

The most popular types and varieties of lilac are the following:

Naturally, the most popular is the common lilac, also in Middle lane(Moscow region) Amur and Hungarian varieties of shrubs are very often grown.

Video: lilac varieties

When to plant lilacs: optimal timing

The best time for planting and replanting lilacs is late summer - early autumn (in other words, late August - early September), but most gardeners plant lilacs in early spring, trying to do it before the buds begin to bloom, that is, around April. You can replant the shrub in the summer in July, since immediately after flowering it begins a dormant period.

Place and soil in the garden for planting lilacs

Lilac is a drought-tolerant and winter-hardy shrub who loves warmth and light very much. It can also grow in the shade, but the bushes will stretch out and the flowering will not be as abundant.

The shrub does not tolerate excessively flooded and swampy areas. If there is a lot of water in the spring, this will depress the plant; accordingly, it will develop poorly and bloom dimly.

Lilacs should not be planted in a place where there are strong drafts, in other words, they should be protected from strong gusts of wind, because in the first years young seedlings can simply break off. Therefore, as a rule, it is planted next to the fence or near garden house or any other country buildings.

By the way! A blooming lilac hedge looks very beautiful.

In fact, this shrub can grow in any place and in any soil, but it needs slightly alkaline soil and must be planted in previously prepared nutrient soil. The planting hole is made depending on the fertility of the soil. For example, if the soil is fertile (sandy loam, light and loose), then optimal size The planting hole for planting lilacs should be 50 cm in diameter and 50 cm in depth. If the ground is sandy, then the size of the pit should be increased by about 1.5-2 times. If the soil is heavy and clayey, then the hole must be dug deeper and a good drainage layer must be laid at the bottom.

To prepare a soil mixture for a planting hole measuring 50 by 50, you will, at a minimum, need humus (about 20 kg or 2 buckets) and wood ash (300 grams - about 3 cups). You can also add 1-2 tbsp if desired. spoons of superphosphate.

Fertilizers are applied to ensure that the reserve nutrients persisted for 4-5 years.

Planting lilacs in open ground

All varieties of lilac are propagated by layering and cuttings. However, if you plant cuttings, the shrub will bloom only in the 4th year. You can also grow lilacs from seeds by collecting seeds from faded panicles, but this process is very long, so the best and optimal method of propagation is to transplant annual shoots.

It is advisable to plant or transplant lilacs in cloudy weather or evening.

Step-by-step instructions for planting lilacs in open ground:

1. Find the optimal location in the garden and dig a planting hole that matches the soil fertility.
2. Fill the hole with humus and ash. Moreover, fertilizers must be mixed well with ordinary garden soil so that the root system of the seedling does not come into contact with them during planting.
3. If you have a seedling with a closed root system, then place it directly in the center of the hole; if with an open root system, then distribute the roots directly over the mound of the previously poured soil mixture.
4. For better branching after planting, you can pinch 2-3 pairs of top buds.
5. Water generously. With watering, the soil will become compacted and the roots will come into contact with the ground, which will also contribute to better rooting.
6. When the ground settles, compact the soil a little with your foot and add more soil.
7. Water again.
8. When the water completely goes into the ground, mulch with the same humus, peat or dry mowed grass to a depth of 5 centimeters.

Caring for lilacs in open ground

To grow a beautiful lilac, it needs proper care, which should include the following standard garden procedures: watering, fertilizing, pruning and treatment against pests and diseases.

Watering

If you planted a shrub in early spring, then watering in the first year should be relatively frequent and quite abundant, especially during the summer drought. But remember that this shrub does not like waterlogging.

Mature lilacs do not need frequent watering, unless it is periodically watered on hot and dry summer days.

If you see that the lilac leaves are all covered in dust, you can perform the sprinkling procedure; the bush loves it, but for obvious reasons this cannot be done during the flowering period.

Of course, shrubs need moisture not only in spring and summer, but also during autumn root growth. Therefore, in September-October, underground watering is carried out, pouring 3-4 buckets of water under each bush.

Top dressing

As a rule, gardeners forget about feeding lilacs, although its flowering depends on it. However, in the first 3-4 years after planting, if you have poured a sufficient amount of fertilizer into the planting hole, the shrub does not need additional feeding, unless you can add nitrogen in early spring for a faster growth of green mass. For example, ammonium nitrate and urea (urea) are excellent.

In the spring of 4-5 years, you can start feeding lilacs with organic matter. For example, an infusion of mullein made in the proportion of 1 liter of product per 10 liters of water is suitable, although many summer residents use a stronger solution of 1 to 5 (but it is better not to do this).

In autumn, it is recommended to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to lilacs. For example, during digging you can add 2-3 tbsp in dry form. spoons of superphosphate and 2-3 tbsp. spoons of potassium nitrate per 1 bush. You can also use liquid fertilizing with wood ash by diluting 250 grams of ash (0.5 liter jar) in 10 liters of water.

Video: feeding lilacs and other conditions for lush flowering

Trimming

Without proper pruning, lilacs will begin to grow wild and degenerate in a few years. It will become very overgrown, and all the inflorescences will form only at the very top, but in the center of the bush there will be no nice flowers will not be.

There is also a common point of view that the more lilacs are broken or pruned, the better they will bloom. This is not entirely true, because pruning must be done in accordance with certain very important rules and recommendations.

Of great importance for the future flowering of lilacs is the pruning of faded panicles in mid-summer - in July, thanks to which the bush will stop wasting energy on feeding them, the growth of young shoots will be activated, and new flower buds will begin to form.

Formative pruning of lilacs is carried out according to the following scheme:

By the way! In addition to branches, it is necessary to remove excess root shoots.

To support beautiful shape bush and for it abundant flowering, pruning lilacs should be done on a regular and systematic basis.

You can see how to properly prune lilacs in this video:

Theoretical diagrams for pruning lilacs and explanations of why you need to do it this way can be found in this video:

Do not forget to perform sanitary pruning every spring and throughout the summer and autumn, removing all damaged and drying branches.

Treatment against diseases and pests

If on the lilac itself or on neighboring bushes last year you noticed obvious signs of disease or damage by any insect pests (lilac hawk moths, powdery mildew), then before the buds open, the bushes should be treated with special solutions. For example, you can spray with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or prepare a solution of copper oxychloride by dissolving 2-3 tablespoons of the product in 1 bucket of water.

But, as a rule, few people have ever heard of, much less seen, lilacs being sick or being attacked by pests.

Video: lilac care and pest control

There is nothing more beautiful and fragrant in spring than lilac bushes. However, it also has its own character and its own requirements for planting, care and pruning. Follow our advice and recommendations, and lilac will willingly grow and bloom in your area.

Video: planting, care, cultivation and propagation of lilacs

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