How to Plant Accidentally Pulled Out Lilac Plants
Lilacs, formally named Syringa, are admired for the beauty of their flowers and for their heady scent. They have a well-deserved reputation as tough plants that grow well with minimum care. They are long-lived shrubs; many lilac hedges still bloom 100 years after they were planted. However, young lilac shrubs can be uprooted before they are firmly established, either by accident or as the result of an encounter with deer or other garden pests. These uprooted shrubs should be replanted as soon as possible. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Uprooted lilac
- Spade or shovel
- Water and pail
- Pruners
- Tarp
- 2 or 3 poles, longer than the lilac's height
- Clips or clothes pins
- Mulch
Instructions
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Put the uprooted lilac in a pail of water immediately. Make sure all the roots are submerged. Roots dry out quickly when exposed to sun and wind.
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Dig a hole. It should be deep enough to hold all the roots comfortably, without bunching or tangling. If you choose to move the shrub to a new location, dig the hole twice as deep and fill the bottom with compost.
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Remove broken pieces of roots and branches from the shrub. Use sharp pruners for a clean cut.
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Place the shrub in the hole. The point where the root and stem meet should be about an inch below the top of the hole.
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Fill in the hole. Press the soil firmly but gently around the roots. When you're almost done, shape a shallow bowl, about an inch deep, with the root/stem join at the lowest point. This will help ensure that the shrub gets enough moisture.
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Water the shrub. Let the water trickle gently into the bowl of soil for an hour or so. This long, slow watering will remove air pockets from the soil and help the shrub settle into place.
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If the day is bright and sunny, provide shade. This will reduce the shrub's moisture loss and help prevent transplant shock. A tarp clipped to a pair of garden poles will do the job. If there is a strong wind, use the same system to make a temporary wind block. The next day, remove the shade structure and water the shrub again.
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Tips & Warnings
This procedure can also be used to plant suckers, which will develop into new lilac shrubs.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
