Why Aren't There Any Flowers on My Lilac Bush?
One joy of early spring is the smell and sight of fragrant, colorful lilac blossoms. It is disheartening if your bush has few or no blooms when the new season comes along. Lilacs are not native to the United States and do require specific care to grow and thrive here. Give your lilac bush the attention it requires, and you will be rewarded with branches laden with flowers. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pruning
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A lilac can be pruned within a two-week time period after it has blossomed and the flowers have died. Buds form on the ends of the lilac bush branch tips during the fall dormant season. These buds contain the flowers that will blossom during the following spring. If you prune the lilac bush during the dormant period, you will likely cut away an entire season of flower production. Dormant season pruning should only consist of removing dead and diseased wood, suckers and spent blooms.
New Plantings
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Lilac bushes require at least 6 hours of sun daily and good drainage. Lilacs are hardy and fairly easy to grow, but the first year is critical to the future of the bush. The lilac should not be fertilized when it is planted. Poor soil can be amended with aged manure or compost. When planting the lilac, dig a hole to a depth depth that matches the height of the root ball. If the hole is too deep, it will take longer for the bush's root system to establish itself in the soil. The result will be fewer lilac flowers in the spring.
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Fertilizer
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Lilac plantings thrive in sweet or alkaline soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. A handful of lime or wood ash spread around the bush's base every other year will keep the soil at a healthy pH level. When acidic soil is raised with alkaline, the lilac plant is better able to draw minerals from the soil, which benefits overall growth. If you fertilized with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, foliage will be dominant, and flowers may not emerge. After the planting year, a 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer should be applied to the soil in March or April, before new growth begins. The proper fertilizer invigorates the established lilac bush, promoting bud growth and flowers.
Water
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Lilac bushes will not flower well if they are experiencing drought conditions or overwatering. The leaves of a lilac that lacks soil moisture will become pale green or yellow in color. The leaves may drop from the branches of the bush and growth will be retarded, resulting in a decrease in flower production. Overwatering will be equally damaging because the leaves will become discolored and the bush will wilt. Bud production will be damaged; if the bush survives, there may be a lack of flowers the following spring.
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References
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