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Let Those Lilacs Soar! Secrets to Growing Them Sky-High

Let Those Lilacs Soar! Secrets to Growing Them Sky-High

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Lilac bushes have been a longtime favorite for people who want to grow flowery shrubs and bushes in their houses. It is incredibly popular because of the amazing fragrance that it gives off, and the gorgeous flowers that grow.

The colors of the flowers can usually vary from pink to purple, and they are incredibly popular amongst homeowners. If you have a garden outside that you would like to decorate, putting in the lilac bushes is a fantastic idea.

How Big Do Lilac Bushes Get? (And How To Encourage Growth)

Not only does the lilac bush offer aesthetic appeal and a unique appearance, but it also offers privacy and shade. The height of the bush can vary depending on the variety that you buy. There are dwarf varieties that can go up to 8 feet, and there are the larger ones that are capable of reaching heights of up to 30 feet.

But, like all other plants, these also require a considerable amount of care, and if you care for them properly, they are easily going to last you for decades!

Planting the Bush

The proper care for the plant begins from the moment you bring it into your house. You need to plant it in the right manner if you want it to grow to its maximum height.

The best thing to do is to plant it during spring or fall, and you also need to make sure that you spread the leaves vertically on the ground. You also need to dig the hole carefully; make it appropriately deep and wide to ensure that it is capable of accommodating the bush.

If you are going to plant several lilac bushes, you need to make sure that you keep at least five feet of space between each of them. This is imperative and it is going to help you prevent overcrowding.

It doesn’t matter if you are going to plant the hedge for privacy purposes; they will cover the gap on their own.

When selecting an area where you are going to plant the lilac bushes, you also need to be particularly careful. It’s important that you select an area that receives a considerable amount of the afternoon sun, and the soil should be high in drainage too.

Lilac bushes love good drainage, and are going to thrive in such soil.

Ideally, you should plant them in areas that are slightly elevated, as that’s going to improve their growth and also prevent water from standing around the bushes too.

Once you have planted the lilac bushes, you should also always water them carefully. Adding a layer of loose mulch is also going to boost growth considerably.

Remember, you need to make sure that the mulch is thick enough so that it’s going to keep the weeds out, while still retaining the moisture and should also provide an adequate amount of light.

Low Maintenance Shrub

Lilac

For many, lilac is considered to be a low maintenance shrub. You don’t need to invest a great deal of money or time to care for the plants, but you do need to be a tad bit careful, especially if you want the plant to grow.

Remember, the common lilac is likely to hit heights of around 12 to 15 feet, and can spread up to 12 feet wide. To grow properly, the lilac is going to require many hours of the sun on a daily basis.

Now, if you want to regulate the height of the plant, there are quite a few things that you can do. For starters, if you have bought a dwarf variety, this won’t be a problem. It’s going to hit a maximum of four to six feet, and then remain that way.

But, if you buy a larger variety, you will need to take a bit of care for it to grow.

Pruning

Lilacs tend to bloom on dry wood that is old, so you need to make sure that you prune the plants once they have flowered. It’s incredibly important that you do so right after the flowering, because the flower buds for next spring are going to set up right after the first flowering is complete.

Basically, if you take too long to prune the flowers, it’s going to kill the flowers for next year.

See How Long Do Lilac Blooms Last? (And How to Make Them Last Longer).

On top of that, pruning is also going to reduce the effects of powdery mildew that might develop over the passage of time.

The lilac bush itself is considerably hardy and can easily withstand hard pruning, so you don’t need to worry about the plant sustaining any kind of damage.

It might seem counterintuitive at first, but pruning the bushes is actually going to encourage growth and improve the health of your plant. You are going to see a world of difference as your plant will immediately begin to grow quickly.

Remember, the plant also prefers rich soil, so you should always add compost when you think it’s needed.

To make the plant grow and reach its full potential, you need to water it on a regular basis. The lilac bushes love a lot of water, and it’s going to help establish a deep root system in the plants.

However, you need to make sure that you water the plant at soil level, and do not do it from overhead.

This is going to prevent overwatering and also ensure that the water reaches the roots directly. Once the plant has been properly established, you won’t need to spend that much time with it. Remember, you need to water the plant on a weekly basis so that it is going to grow properly.

You also need to make sure that you cut back on the weak branches, as that’s going to improve growth and promote stronger shoots. If the lilac is in bad shape, you might want to consider hiring an arborist to take a look at the plants.

If the lilac is in terrible shape, you need to get rid of at least one-third of the oldest canes.

You will have to get rid of the small suckers so that the plant can focus on growth. You also need to make sure that you use a high-quality nitrogen-based fertilizer to promote growth. You also need to make sure that you get rid of slugs or snails that might hinder the growth of the plant.

Lilac bushes do really well in open areas, and most people usually plant them in their garden. Obviously, while this is great for growth, you should know that the roots might overgrow, and might interfere with the pipes or wires running under the ground.

There are common cases where the roots tend to interfere with the pipes and need to be cut, so you also have to be wary of that. Apart from that, taking care of lilac bushes is incredibly easy.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money, and it doesn’t require a major effort on your part either. It’s a great way to improve the aesthetic appeal of your garden without spending over the top, so you should definitely consider growing the bushes in your garden!

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