How to cut lilac. Lilac pruning

Fragrant clouds of blooming lilacs can leave few people indifferent.

Sort Sensation

Spring is not the right time for planting and transplanting lilacs (not counting planting seedlings from containers). It is best to do this at the end of August - the first half of September, writes Elena Kozhina.

AT landing pit it is desirable to add manure humus or compost, superphosphate and wood ash. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly.

Variety Mulatto

Breeders have created a huge number of varieties. Their flowers can be both simple and double, often very large - up to 4 cm in diameter, and panicle inflorescences - different density and magnitude. Flower color - from purple and lilac (lilac) different shades to white, pink, blue, purple and even yellowish. Varieties also differ in intensity of aroma.

Variety Elena Vekhova
How to grow

Common lilac is a low-maintenance, frost-resistant, rather drought-resistant, unpretentious plant (but it grows better on fertile, loamy).

It also tolerates some shade. It has moderate growth, but gives abundant root shoots. Does not tolerate flooding and excessively wet places.

AT good conditions lilac appears in all its glory.

What varieties flowering shrub suitable for the garden

Bushes bloom from about 4 years of age. Plants develop better if they are fed regularly (early spring - full mineral fertilizer, in summer - complex together with mullein) and water as needed. Mandatory removal of root shoots and thinning pruning throughout the life of the lilac bush. It is also advisable to remove wilted brushes immediately after flowering.

Lilac is propagated mainly by root shoots (own-rooted plants), layering or grafting. Another popular method to get planting material good varieties, - rooting of semi-lignified cuttings. They are cut in June, immediately after flowering, and planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse, supporting high humidity air and a temperature of about 25 °C. True, the yield of rooted cuttings is low, even if all the rules are followed (this also depends heavily on the variety).

Species ("wild") lilacs can be propagated by seeds (for example, on a hedge).
Photo: Elena Kozhina
Coloring of inflorescences Popular varieties
white ‘Monique Lemoine’,

'Flora'

white-pink, pearl shade ‘Beauty of Moscow’

bluish ‘Madame Charles Suchet’,

‘Dresden China’

lilac, lilac 'Memory of Vekhov', 'Partisan', 'Poltava', 'Glory'

purple ‘Minchanka’, ‘Doctor Bretour’, ‘Alexey Maresyev’,

Nicholas Gastello

purple ‘Space’, ‘Dream’

two-tone, white-violet ‘Sensation’
yellowish ‘Primrose’

Old lilac bushes in gardens are not uncommon, writes Irina Okuneva.

But the lilac is a shrub, and this means that it does not have a single trunk for life, but several. Over time, some trunks grow old and dry up, others, young ones, appear to replace them. They are formed either from coppice shoots at the base of the bush (in own-rooted plants), or from dormant buds on the trunks.

If you manage this shift by cutting lilacs at least once every 2–3 years ( the best time for this - spring, immediately after the snow melts), the question of rejuvenation will not arise at all.

What should be done in running case"To return the lilacs to their former luxury - it depends on how your bush looks.

Option 1

If we have a bush in front of us, overgrown with offspring, then first you need to get close to it.

However, the entire growth should not be indiscriminately removed. Usually you can find at least one, or even several strong trunks that can become worthy replacement old.

It is better to mark them with bright ribbons so as not to pull them out in the heat of the moment. The rest of the coppice shoots methodically pull out of the ground along with the root and cut as close as possible to the point of departure from the trunk.

If desired, these offspring can be used for breeding. The main condition is that the bush must be own-rooted, and not grafted.

Option 2

If old stems have vertical branches formed from dormant buds, this is wonderful. They will give us the opportunity to rejuvenate the bushes without losing flowering.

We remove stems, branches in whole or parts thereof, if they:

dry, damaged or broken;
have very small annual increments;
intersect and touch with others;
uncomfortable or ugly stick out.

We leave branches that:

- give a good increase in the upper part, where flowering is expected;
- well located.

Option 3

If lilac bushes have been pruned incorrectly all their lives, that is, instead of replacing aging stems, young shoots and shoots have been removed, the plant gradually loses its ability to recover.

Such lilacs with a single trunk may not withstand heavy pruning. You can try to remove a few branches in their crown to stimulate the awakening of dormant buds in the lower part of the trunk, if they are still there.

If there are two or more stems, remove the weakest and wait for new growths to appear.

Rejuvenation of depleted bushes can take several years. At this time, you need to provide them with good care.

Apr 24, 2016 Galinka

You can grow common lilac in

• high standard
• standard
• semi standard
• in the form of an improved bush
• in the form of a free bush:

So, the varieties India, Red Moscow, Dream, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya look better in the form of an improved bush with a small (10-15 cm) trunk. Other varieties show the best decorative qualities in the form of a free multi-stem bush with 6-7 skeletal branches. These include Marshal Foch, Pioneer and others. Lilacs Olimpiada Kolesnikova, Katerina Havemeyer, Sky of Moscow, Galina Ulanova, Condorcet do not lose their qualities with any type of shaping. And only a few varieties "show themselves" in high standard form: Miss Helen Wilmot, Condorcet.

High stem form depending on the growth ability of the variety. Usually this is done in the 2-3rd year, and in poorly developed seedlings - in the fourth. In the spring, all unnecessary and underdeveloped branches in the crown are removed, and below the crown level, all branches are cut into a ring. The main shoot of continuation is shortened to a size (the height of the bole can be from 100 to 170 cm) necessary for the normal development of lateral branches. Lateral shoots (leave 4-6 pairs of buds) are pinched to obtain a compact crown and better branching.

Formation half trunk and improved bush start already in one-year-old seedlings. For the formation of a semi-standard form on a seedling, all lower buds are removed by cutting to a height of 60-80 cm. Then 4-5 pairs of buds are counted up and above the last pair left, the top is cut off with a sharp tool, leaving a spike 2-2.5 cm long. . The developing shoot of the continuation is tied to the left thorn. After lignification of the growing shoot, the tires are completely cut out.

The shape of an improved bush lay in the same way as the semi-bolt. The height of the bole to the first pair of buds from the ground should be 12-25 cm. In subsequent years, they make sure that all branches develop harmoniously, pinch the fatty shoots. Lilac bushes with 5-6 skeletal branches are most successfully formed. When creating a natural bush forms, all lower kidneys are left, and cut off upper part shoots with 3-4 pairs of buds. Much attention is paid to the young plant in the first 2-3 years of flowering. At that time great importance It has correct cut inflorescences. It can often be observed that flower growers cut off, and even worse, break off the inflorescence along with one-year, and sometimes two-year growth. Excessive pruning of inflorescences on elongated shoots depresses young plant. In addition, normal flowering in this case will be in a year. The inflorescence must be cut along with part of last year's branch, and the remaining branch must have at least two developing shoots. The apical lateral buds of these shoots lay flower buds in the second half of summer (some varieties lay 2-3 pairs of them), and the bush blooms profusely the next year. In the formed plants, thickening shoots are pinched 3-4 times during the summer. Developing unevenly, fattening shoots dive into young age when a minimum of plastic substances is spent on their construction. Don't allow too much abundant flowering young plants, this negatively affects their subsequent growth and development. As a rule, too strong flowering of young lilacs leads to premature aging and death of plants. During this period, especially carefully monitor the rationing of flowering. In the spring, when the inflorescences reach a length of 2-2.5 cm, flower buds are partially broken out. AT some years normalize the number of brushes in adult lilac bushes of such varieties as Leonid Leonov, Congo and others. Most nurseries producing grafted and own-rooted lilac seedlings are limited to short pruning only. annual escape 3-4 pairs of well-developed buds and the plants practically come out with a naturally formed crown. This form is far from the most successful. Such a lilac gives a lot of shoots, the branches develop unevenly, the crown thickens and flowering becomes scarce. Abundant overgrowth can be prevented by shallow planting and timely removal of dormant buds at the base of the root neck of the stock. Basal shoots and offspring shoots are removed systematically. At own root lilac - in early spring, in the grafted - during the entire growing season as it appears. Offspring shoots are cut out “on a ring”, perhaps going deeper into the soil. If you remove the shoots from time to time, and even leaving stumps, the root zone only thickens even more, since the shoots grow from the stumps with a vengeance. In the grafted lilac, all shoots are cut out on the stem below the grafting site. Systematic and correct removal underground shoots formed from dormant buds, leads to the fact that the root neck is deprived of dormant buds or their number is minimized. In the future, overgrowth is almost not formed. It is necessary to take care of the formation for most varieties in the first year. Then circumcise the adults e plants are lighter.

Care for lilac bushes.
For some reason, it is generally accepted that the more you break blooming lilac, the better it then grows and blooms.
Actually, it is impossible to break a lilac, because its wood and bark are strong, and therefore large “lacerated” wounds are formed, due to which the bush may even die. And cutting it is useful and necessary.

Lilac is everyone's favorite fragrant spring bush. It is great if it is beautifully formed, looks neat, and, most importantly, blooms profusely. In order for it to really please with beauty every year, annual shaping pruning is needed. If this is not done, the inflorescences will gradually become smaller, Bottom part the bush will be bare, and the inflorescences themselves will bloom somewhere at a height inaccessible to the eye .

The first two years after planting, the lilac grows weakly, at this time the root system is building up. It is not worth cutting anything on a growing and still, in principle, weak plant. Only in the third or fourth year, when the plant is strong enough, you can begin to form. To do this, leave from three to five of the strongest branches, cutting out all the weak shoots. These branches will form the basis of the future lilac bush.

spring pruning

Pruning in the spring is sanitary pruning. It is carried out as soon as the frosts end and a low positive temperature is established on the thermometer.

At this time, shoots that have not wintered well (they are usually blackened, dead, broken under the weight of snow) and young shoots that have grown over the summer months of last year are removed. You can leave only a couple of strong shoots that will go to replace the old wood. Shoots should be located outside the bush, all those that thicken the middle are cut out in order to provide light to the entire bush.

In the grafted lilac, all the shoots are cut out, which grew last summer below the rootstock point, since it has nothing to do with the variety.

No branches are shortened in the spring, so you can lose flowering this year.

Pruning after flowering

This is the main pruning that forms the next year's bush. It is carried out immediately after the end of flowering, only in this case the plant will have time to lay new buds for flowering during the summer and the beginning of autumn and grow many new shoots, the strongest of which you can leave. The sooner she begins to lay flower buds, the more beautiful the flowering will be on next year. I remember, as a child, they said that the more you cut the lilac, the better it will bloom, we gave it to my mother with pleasure all spring and all the vases in the house were fragrant with lilacs. By pruning lilacs in late summer and autumn, you will cut off all the useful things that the bush worked on during the summer, and flowering is likely to be weak.

After flowering, lilacs cut off all faded inflorescences. It is the inflorescences that need to be cut off, without touching a couple of young shoots, which are located immediately under the flower, it is on them that flower buds will form.

Some branches are cut lower, forming the height of the bush. They will not bloom next year, but only in this way, keeping a balance between branches with cut inflorescences and forming branches, you can keep the lilac bush at the height you need.
After such pruning, the bush looks neater, more decorative even in a non-flowering state, and, most importantly, it does not expend energy on the ripening of seeds, but spends them on laying new flower buds.

At the same time, cut off all branches that go sharply to the sides. They cut out weak thin branches that have grown, shoots that thicken the crown, go inside it, cross, interfere with each other.

In the spring, after the flowering of the lilac, all the root shoots are cut off, leaving only strong shoots to receive new skeletal branches in the future, their number depends on the size of the bush. It is better to cut the root shoots not superficially, but after digging up the ground a little, cut them off from the root, below the soil level. In order for the lilac not to give a lot of overgrowth, you need to dig as little as possible under the bush, loosen the soil. Its root system is superficial, and by disturbing it, we awaken the plant to renewal. It is better to use mulch, which will retain moisture and protect against weeds.

The grafted lilac is especially in need of pruning; all the shoots that go below the stock must be cut off from it. If they are not cut off, then in a couple of years your beautiful variety will become an ordinary lilac bush.

What can be cut in the fall

In autumn, lilacs can be cut broken and crooked branches.

If there are old branches with cracked bark, they can also be removed in the fall, but several should not be removed at once. Old branches should be disposed of gradually, one or two per year, depending on the size of the bush. First of all, those that grow inside the crown are cut off, thickening it. You always need to maintain a balance between the root system and the crown.

For the same reason, it is impossible not to clean the lilac bushes at all, the crown, with a very large thickening, begins to exhaust the underground part, which does not have time to grow as fast as the top. A thickened bush ages faster, inflorescences become smaller every year, their number decreases.

If there are branches grafted with another variety on the bush, all shoots are cut off in the fall, which thickens and weakens them.

Lilac rejuvenation

It is better to do rejuvenating pruning of lilacs gradually from year to year, cutting off old branches, replacing them with new ones grown from young strong shoots.

The rejuvenation of the old lilac must be approached very carefully. With age, the bushes lose their ability to recover, it is difficult for them to give young shoots. But if this happened, and the bush has practically stopped flowering, pruning is best done in early spring. Select a few of the youngest and best branches in your opinion and cut them to a height of 30-40 centimeters from the ground. The remaining ones are very old, with exfoliated cracked bark, cut off at the root. For a year, young shoots should grow from short stumps. Treat all sections with a diameter greater than 2 centimeters oil paint, lilacs do not really like garden pitch, but it will do for lack of anything. If the cuts are not processed, the loose lilac wood will quickly rot.

After such a drastic spring pruning the bush must be fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus, mulched and provided with regular watering throughout the year.

Lilac gives a lot of wild growth, so it is suitable for creating a green hedge. To form it, you need to cut it short, preventing the lower part of the branches from being exposed. It is not a secateurs that will come in handy, but brush cutters or special trimmers. You most likely will not wait for a low lilac hedge to bloom, but if you form it higher, with a neat haircut with pruning shears, you can achieve flowering.

Lilac can be found in almost every flower bed, because this unpretentious shrub has a high decorative effect, and its lush fragrant inflorescences will decorate any garden. But in order to preserve these qualities, it is necessary to regularly prune lilacs, both to form a crown of the correct shape, and to rejuvenate old plants.

This article describes in detail the technique of the procedure, depending on the season and age of the shrub. You will learn how to properly remove lilac branches in spring and autumn, and what activities should be carried out before and after flowering, and photos and videos will help you learn the skills necessary for the procedure.

When and how to prune lilac

It is necessary to remove old branches or excess shoots from the bush, otherwise the flowers will cover mainly the upper part of the plant, and its decorative effect will decrease.

It is important to choose the right time for the procedure. Spring is not a good time for crown formation, as pruning stress can reduce or even stop flowering in the current year. Therefore, it is better to postpone the procedure until the end of flowering or autumn.

However, this does not mean that plants do not need to be paid attention in spring. Before the awakening of the kidneys, it is necessary to carry out a sanitary cleaning: remove all dry or damaged branches, as well as shoots with signs of disease. This will help keep the shrub healthy throughout the growing season.

Pruning schemes

There are several schemes for pruning this shrub. One of them is aimed at the formation of the crown, and the second - at the rejuvenation of the old plant. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

To form a crown, do the following:

• Wait until flowering is complete and remove all wilted buds;
• Long branches must be shortened by a third;
• Remove all excess root shoots and thin out shoots growing close to the ground.

If the bush has become too wide, it is necessary to additionally remove weak and thin side shoots. As a result, you should get a compact plant with a rounded crown. This procedure is best done after flowering, and not in spring, so that the shrub does not weaken and can form buds (Figure 1).

In the case of old shrubs that require rejuvenation, they act differently. Without exception, the branches are shortened so that their length from the ground does not exceed 40 cm. The shoots located near the ground are thinned out or completely removed (if the branch is old). If you are not interested in flowering this year, rejuvenation can be carried out in early spring, otherwise pruning is carried out after flowering is completed.

In fact, after rejuvenation, the bush will not look very attractive, since only small stumps will remain on it. But after 2-3 years, it will be overgrown with young shoots and again covered with lush inflorescences.

Required Tools

For the procedure you will need standard set gardener: secateurs for removing young shoots and thin branches, a hacksaw for cutting parts of large diameter, as well as garden pitch or oil paint for treating wounds that have formed.

It is important that all tools are clean, sharp and disinfected. Otherwise, an infection can get into the cut, which can destroy the plant.

Lilac pruning in spring: bush formation and rejuvenation

Despite the fact that in the spring it is not customary to carry out the formation and rejuvenation of lilacs, it is still worthwhile to carry out some manipulations with the plant.

Note: Until the kidneys awaken, it is much easier to remove excess growth. Such thin shoots will not benefit the plant: they will make the crown too dense, but they will not be able to form buds, so it is better to remove all such branches immediately.

Rejuvenation has no strict contraindications regarding the timing. As a rule, such pruning is required for old bushes, which gradually reduce or completely stop flowering. In this case, the scheme described above is used: all thin branches are removed, and large ones are greatly shortened. In the first year after such a procedure, the lilac will not bloom, but in the future you will get a lush and beautiful bush with large quantity buds.

annual pruning

If you want to form a beautiful and compact bush, be prepared for the fact that young shoots will have to be removed annually. In fact, this is a pinching that preserves the strength of the plant and is carried out by removing young branches before the first branching (Figure 2). For this purpose, you can use a regular pruner or small garden shears.

This procedure allows you to stimulate the growth of side branches and helps maintain the harmony of the crown.

Bush thinning

A young culture grows very quickly, and without regular thinning, the bush will turn out to be too lush and shapeless.

Note: Since this event does not involve the removal of a large number of branches, it can be carried out in early spring.

In order to qualitatively thin out the crown, first of all, all dry or frostbitten parts are cut out. Next, weak shoots that are not able to form are removed. flower buds, but at the same time they consume the juices of the plant and weaken it. In addition, you need to cut off the branches growing inside the crown. This arrangement leads to the fact that the kidneys do not receive enough sunlight, and do not bloom.

Also in the process, the root shoots are completely cut out, especially for grafted plants. If this is not done, wild branches will form at the roots, which will only weaken the plant, but will not bring flowering. However, during pruning, moderation and caution should be observed: no more than a third of the total number of branches can be removed at a time.

Lilac rejuvenation

The main difference between anti-aging pruning and other types is that it involves a strong thinning of the bush. At first glance, such a procedure may seem dangerous, but in fact it will allow you to enjoy the flowering of the old lilac for several more years.

After such a procedure from earlier lush bush only stumps remain. But there is no need to fear that the plant will die: gradually, young flowering shoots form in place of old branches.

Note: There is a definite difference between the rejuvenation of grafted and own-rooted varieties. Grafted plants should never be cut below the grafting site. This will lead to the fact that instead of a beautiful ornamental bush, you will grow an ordinary wild shrub.

Rejuvenating the plant, do not regret that this year there will be no flowering. In early spring, until the movement of juice in the branches has begun, all old shoots are removed, leaving no more than 40 cm from them. Old shoots with cracked bark can be cut to the base. Naturally, after such a procedure, it makes no sense to expect flowering. But after 2-3 years, the plant will fully recover, and will delight you with its flowering for several more years.

Lilac pruning in autumn

Despite the fact that the formation of the crown is most often carried out immediately after flowering is completed, that is, in the summer, in the fall it is also necessary to carry out such events. Their main goal is to slightly rejuvenate the shrub, prepare it for wintering and strengthen it before the next growing season.

Since lilac tolerates autumn pruning much better than spring pruning, during this period it is possible not only to thin out and rejuvenate the shrub, but also to form its crown more carefully.

annual pruning

For plentiful and long flowering every autumn you need to inspect the bushes in order to carry out sanitary cleaning in time. First of all, all old branches covered with lichen or with cracked bark are removed.

It is also necessary to remove crooked or broken shoots, as well as those that grow inside the crown and thicken it. A prerequisite is the height alignment. In the spring, this procedure cannot be carried out, since a strong shortening can stop the development of flower buds. In autumn, such an event will not do harm, rather, on the contrary, it will improve the wintering of the shrub.

Particular attention should be paid to grafted seedlings: they remove all excess growth, which thickens the crown and prevents the formation of varietal buds.

Bush thinning

Thinning helps shape certain form crowns. However, it should be borne in mind that such a procedure begins to be carried out no earlier than the third year of the life of the shrub. Otherwise, the plant may become too weak and die.

You can form a lilac in the form of a shrub or a tree (stem). In the first case, only 3-4 strong branches are left extending from the trunk under suitable angle. In the future, the main goal is to thin the crown. In other words, all shoots that thicken the crown or interfere with the growth of other branches should be removed (Figure 3).

When forming a standard form, care should be taken, since a culture of this type is very vulnerable. First of all, you need to cut the shoots very carefully so as not to accidentally damage the bark or healthy branches. In addition, you need to carefully examine the tree and remove only those parts that violate its symmetry.

Lilac rejuvenation in autumn

Over the years, there may be a situation when the shrub is still lush, but its flowering is significantly reduced. This means that the plant needs rejuvenation. This is a rather radical procedure, after which the lilac will not look very attractive. However, it is necessary for the formation of young and strong shoots.

For rejuvenation, all branches without exception are cut. Their length should be only 30-40 cm from the ground surface. Since such an event is quite stressful for the plant, all cuts and wounds exceeding a diameter of 2 cm must be covered with ordinary brilliant green or oil paint. Garden pitch is not suitable for this purpose, as it negatively affects the condition of the plant and can cause branches to rot.

Pruning lilacs before flowering

In early spring, that is, before flowering, it is not recommended to thin out the shrub much. This may lead to the fact that lilacs will not bloom this year.

Activities that take place during this period include sanitary cleaning and light thinning. First of all, it is necessary to remove all dry, broken or blackened branches. It is also necessary to cut out the oldest shoots covered with lichen or cracked bark. Such branches only thicken the crown and consume juices, but do not form buds. In addition, it is necessary to cut off too young and weak shoots, leaving only a few of the strongest for annual growth. In this case, you should carefully observe to remove only those shoots that grow in width and violate the shape of the crown.

Lilac pruning during flowering

It is difficult to resist moderate pruning of lilacs during the flowering period, because you really want to decorate your house with lush inflorescences. Do not be afraid to do this, because such a procedure will only strengthen the plant and preserve its vitality.

Note: A similar procedure is not carried out for young plants: they are not yet strong enough and will not tolerate pruning.

When cutting off the buds, light thinning is carried out along the way: young branches that grow inside the crown are removed, or that interfere with the formation of stronger shoots. In the process, in no case should you break the branches. For cutting, use only sharp pruners or garden shears. If you simply break a branch, an ugly mark will remain in its place, which can later lead to disease or death of the entire bush, especially in wet weather, when damaged branches quickly rot.

How to cut lilacs after flowering: schemes and methods

Immediately after the end of flowering, you need to arm yourself garden tool and trim the lilac. This is essential if you plan to enjoy flowering for a few more years.

Note: There is a certain order of pruning: first take care of simple varieties, then for semi-double, and then for terry.

The most important goal is to remove all wilted inflorescences. The cut should be made directly above the first pair of leaves or buds, but if you want to slightly adjust the shape of the crown, you can deviate from this rule.

• Pruning is carried out immediately after the end of the flowering period. Otherwise, the forces of the plant will be spent on the formation of fruits and seeds, and not buds.
• If you are growing a non-fruiting bush, thinning can be done year-round: flower buds will form in any case.
• Do not be afraid of autumn pruning: lilac recovers quickly enough and winters well after such care.

The only condition that must be observed is the proper care of plantings after pruning. Slices must be treated with oil paint, drying oil or ordinary brilliant green. Without this, the branches will quickly begin to rot, especially in wet weather.

Video: pruning lilacs in spring and autumn

Since lilac pruning has certain features depending on the season and age of the shrub, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the video, which shows all the details in detail this process.

Old lilac: pruning

Any old lilac bush is not a very attractive cluster and interweaving of branches. However, it does not bloom too profusely, and without appropriate care can quickly die. To prevent this from happening, anti-aging procedures are carried out (Figure 5).

Such pruning can be done in spring and autumn. In any case, it will be possible to wait for flowering only after 2-3 years, since in the process of rejuvenation, all old and young branches are cut out, leaving only small stumps no more than 40 cm long. Own-rooted lilac with a large number of old branches can be completely cut off at the root. But such a procedure will be disastrous for the grafted seedling: if you cut off the grafting site, instead of a varietal bush, you will have wild shoots.

Since rejuvenation is considered a very traumatic procedure, it is better to carry it out in dry weather. Dampness can cause rapid rotting of the branches, especially if the cut points have not been properly treated with oil paint.

Any plant belonging to the order of the Higher has terrestrial and underground systems. Refers to terrestrial crown, stem or stem, which for various monocot plants are called boles, while the plant itself will be called boles. The underground part consists of the root system, which includes various skeletal roots and many thin root hairs.

The overground and underground systems are interconnected. The growth and development of one system is impossible without the growth and development of another. Therefore, absolutely any external influence on the crown renders direct influence on the root system of plants, and vice versa. The task of any gardener is to minimize external stimuli or try to ensure that the influence is always justified. Most often, on an intuitive level, the gardener adheres to certain norms for maintaining decorativeness.

To cut or not to cut?

In the spring, there is a risk of removing the flower bud, which, in turn, is located on the very top of the shoot. It is also not recommended to align the lilac in height and carry out forming pruning.

Most often, forming pruning combines sanitary removal of shoots. Held in the summer months immediately after flowering and includes:

Next, trim the tops and branches. This is done in order to create a smooth and beautiful crown. Do not forget about the new growth, which also needs to be removed. It is important to remember that too dense pruning of the crown, in which the operation of the root system changes, in turn can provoke active growth shoots.

In the spring, deep digging of the soil is unacceptable, especially in trunk circles. In this case, the uppermost, most physiologically active roots are damaged. There is a reaction aerial parts of a plant, namely, thin and short shoots are gaining weight. Flower buds are formed only on a well-lit part of the crown. Based on this reaction, lilacs are cut annually to about 15–17% of total number branches. Under young plants, the soil is loosened shallowly - up to 8 cm, while under older plants it is necessary to dig up the soil up to 15 cm.

Many gardeners are of the opinion that lilac pruning is an unnecessary event. The postulate is this: if it grows, let it grow as it wants and where it wants. However, opinions differ: some gardeners are constantly trying to level, cut, file. Experience has shown that more often than not, the end result of constantly cutting something is worse than that of the first. Everyone knows that cutting plants, as well as forming a crown, is a must, but do it once a year and do it right.

In ordinary broad-leaved lilac and some other species, shoots branch in a false dichotomous type. This happens when from top node an annual shoot sprouts not one, but several new shoots. On one shoot, many shoots are formed due to the germination of buds on the nodes located below, and this several times increases the total number of shoots on one bush.

Accordingly in the spring root system unable to increase much in size. Based on this, every year the plant has fewer shoots and inflorescences, and the overall decorative effect of the entire bush also deteriorates sharply. Only through proper annual pruning can thickening of the crown be avoided and improve general form the whole plant.

Trimming methods

To do the procedure yourself, you should learn how to properly trim the lilac. There are two main ways to trim lilacs:

• pruning branches, crowns and damaged shoots;
• removal of inflorescences that have already faded through a cut with a width of not more than 0.4 cm in diameter.

Large-sized lilacs will not grow in place of old inflorescences, so it is necessary to cut off old inflorescences. It is advisable to lubricate the cut well with garden pitch, otherwise the plant will begin to rot. The rot will subsequently penetrate into the middle of the skeletal branches, and gradually healthy tree will turn into dust.

Lilac can be grown as a small tree or bush. The crown of plants is formed at the age of three, adult bushes should have several trunks. Among the large number of shoots or branches, 4–5 of the largest and strongest are selected, which are directed in different directions relative to the center of the plant. All the rest are cut along the ring, and in the future, in order to avoid the emergence of new shoots, the crown is thinned out every year in the central part.

Thanks to this method thick branches do not appear in the crown, the removal of which will mean severe injury to the plant. For the old bush that has a large number of trunks, this is acceptable, because after the removal of the old shoot, a new one is formed in its place. The latter grows from the bud of the root zone, which will take two and a half years.

Standard plants have a single stem, and because of this, it is protected from any mechanical damage from the very beginning of crown formation. Lilac pruning occurs in the spring, and this process begins in order to reduce the height of the trunk to 1 m. In the fall, the occulants begin to grow with shoots, and for the next spring, gardeners choose six of the strongest and strongest. And all the rest are cut around the ring. Abandoned shoots must be about the same distance to make the crown look symmetrical. This will make it possible to give the plant stability and strength.

In all subsequent years, shoots and young branches that are superfluous should be removed immediately. Shoots that grow from dormant buds must be removed as soon as they have sprouted. Thanks to this method, the cuts will never be more than 2–3 cm in diameter, and this, in turn, ensures the durability of the stem and its skeletal branches. However, if for some reason one or several branches in the crown that have significant diameters were not removed in a timely manner, there is no need to cut them. By their presence, they will cause less harm to the plant than the wound formed after their removal will cause.

When to prune

As a gardener, you will have to decide for yourself when and how to prune lilacs.

Warning! Never exercise pruning lilacs in the summer, since it is in the summer months that the most active budding occurs. An inexperienced gardener can intervene in the process and unknowingly remove just those shoots that have tuned in to the most lush flowering.

It is necessary to trim the crown in early spring or, which is most favorable for growth, after flowering has ended. Then faded inflorescences and dry branches are removed.

Lilac lovers know that if the old inflorescences of varieties such as common and broad-leaved lilacs are not removed or removed late (in August-September), everything nutrients will go to formation of seeds and fruits. There will be nothing left to lay flower buds, and later, next spring, the plant will not bloom. Therefore, pruning of inflorescences must be started as soon as the lilac has faded.

There is a certain pattern: the more petals in the flowers of any variety relative to their wild relative, the less fruit they form. Bushes are the first to be cut, the flowers of which are non-double - this is more than half of the lilac varieties. The second - semi-double inflorescences, such as: Marshal Lann, Violetta Belle. Last but not least - with terry and densely double inflorescences: Madame Lemoine, Madame Casimir, Fires of Donbass, Taras Bulba, Lavoisier and others. In this case, thanks to the pruning of inflorescences, you can significantly improve decorative look lilacs.

Varieties that do not bear fruit, for example, Beauty of Moscow, Lesya Ukrainka, are pruned at any time, they can be pruned even in winter. In physiological terms, the presence or absence of an inflorescence in their crown does not have any effect on the formation of flower buds. In these species, inflorescences are most often not pruned, because, regardless of the number and yield of seeds, every year they bloom very profusely. However, there is an exception - this is the Beijing Lilac, which, provided that fruiting occurs on maximum level, cannot form flower buds and will not bloom the next year.

Spring pruning negatively affects the appearance of the lilac bush, as pruning spots (dips) may not disappear before flowering begins. That is, when the crown will bloom next time, there will be dark spots, which visually worsens the overall appearance of the bush.