You have two options if you’re wondering when to transplant lilacs: spring or autumn. The majority of specialists advise taking action in spring. The best period is right after the plants blossom but before the summer heat really kicks in.
How is a lilac bush transplanted?
You’re trying to figure out if you can move your lilac bush. You’ll be glad to learn that lilac bushes are simple to move. Lilac bushes rank among the easiest plants to transplant successfully, according to our research. We will outline the procedures for effectively transplanting lilacs in this article.
The simplest lilac bushes to transplant are the young ones. They are able to quickly adapt to their new environment and put down new roots thanks to their strong, youthful growth. Can a larger Lilac shrub be moved with ease? Sure! Simply put, it requires a little more effort and “TLC” from beginning to end.
The greatest time to transplant lilacs is in the spring. In hot, dry conditions, they do not transplant well. Bushes should be transplanted after their blooming time and before the hot summer months.
It’s vital to remember that transplanting may have an impact on the following spring’s bloom. The bush will probably produce fewer blooms or none at all the next year. They concentrate on re-establishing their root system over the year following their transplant. The lilacs should blossom normally the next year.
How to Transplant Lilac Bushes
The fundamental steps for successfully transplanting lilac plants are as follows:
Lilacs require high, draining soil. When choosing the new location for your lilac bush, keep this in mind. If necessary, add a few inches to the soil’s elevation.
Make a decision regarding whether to cut the bush. Lilacs can have issues with this choice. We advise against trimming a lilac bush. Trimming plants allows the plant to concentrate on regrowing the root system, which goes against the logic of typical transplanting. However, pruning a lilac bush can mean cutting off the blossoms for the following year.
Dig far and deep to remove the plant from its present site. The transplant will be more successful and less traumatic if you have more roots.
In the new site, dig a hole. Create a hole that is roughly twice the size of the root system.
Put the lilac bush’s roots into the hole at the same depth they were at their previous position.
Water deeply and completely. When transplanting, we prefer to use a light solution of liquid fertiliser or seaweed fertiliser.
For three to four weeks, deeply water the soil every day to keep it moist but not soggy. Your roots will be helped to re-establish themselves as a result.
How late may lilacs be transplanted?
Plan to transplant your lilac in the late summer or fall, after the plant’s flowering season has ended entirely but before frozen ground makes digging impossible. Depending on where you reside, try to transplant as early as July and August or as late as October and November.
When may lilac bushes be moved?
A major lilac move takes several months to complete. The visible trunk and branches of the shrub are further away than the size of a lilac tree root ball. To aid the plant in producing new feeder roots prior to its major movement, the University of Georgia Extension advises root cutting in the spring or fall. As a result, transplant shock will be lessened.
Wait until the shrub is dormant in the spring, before the new leaves emerge, or until the leaves have fallen. To get rid of the roots, dig a 12- to 18-inch-deep trench around the shrub, 6 to 12 inches inside the drip line. Cut the bigger roots with loppers or pruners that have been sterilised. Add the excavated soil to the trench and thoroughly water it. The cut root ball will support the growth of new feeder roots by the root system.
Dr. Leonard Perry also suggests pruning trees and shrubs six to twelve months prior to transplanting. It is also simpler to move the shrub while it is smaller. To stop the transmission of infections and pests, always sterilise cutting instruments by soaking the blades in rubbing alcohol or Lysol.
Are lilacs sun-sensitive?
When the lilacs begin to blossom, it is a solid indicator that spring has arrived for good. While many people only have a limited knowledge of common lilac (also known as French lilac) shrubs that can reach a height of 15 feet or more, there are now a lot more options available than there were fifty years ago. Some varieties that rebloom enhance the garden’s appeal the entire growing season.
How to Choose Lilacs
The common lilac is what you will most likely find when you go plant shopping. This traditional plant comes in a variety of cultivars and variations, each of which yields fragrant spring flowers in pink, purple, white, or even combinations of those hues. Common lilacs are typically the most fragrant variety of lilac and can grow to be rangy and large.
Rebloomers have arrived in the garden centre thanks to recent introductions of hybrids between the common lilac and other shrub-type lilacs. Some of these more recent types are a little less fragrant, but they also tend to be smaller, bloom more frequently throughout the growing season, and have fewer powdery mildew issues.
The tree lilac is another common variety of lilac. It can grow to a height of around 20 feet and blooms with cream-colored flowers in the middle of the summer. Though it doesn’t require much trimming, keep in mind that the tree lilac is a tree, not a shrub.
Where to Plant Lilacs
Lilacs should be planted in full light (at least 6 to 8 hours per day), as too much shadow will prevent them from blooming. Lilacs also prefer moist, well-drained soil that is slightly alkaline.
When to Plant Lilacs
Before the ground freezes in the late fall is the ideal time to plant lilacs. After the earth thaws in the early spring, that is the next ideal period to plant. Lilacs will likely need to be planted as soon as you can locate them at the garden centre, which is great; if you choose to do so during a warmer season, they might require additional watering.
How to Prepare the Soil for Planting Lilacs
A soil test should be performed prior to planting since lilacs thrive in slightly alkaline (6.5 to 7.0 pH), moist, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. Lime must be added to raise the pH if it is below 5.5. It’s time to get the soil ready when you’ve obtained the ideal pH. Improve individual planting holes by mixing Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Trees & Shrubs in a 50:50 ratio with the natural soil to give lilacs a nutrient-rich start. Iron and phosphorus are also present in this garden soil to promote root development and ward off leaf fading.
Are lilac bushes’ roots deep?
Lilac shrub roots are quite rare to penetrate the side of a foundation. Lilac roots typically become damaged when they get too close to the soil-level foundation’s base. Lilac roots can only penetrate shallow foundations because of their shallow root systems. It is unlikely that you will sustain harm if your foundation is deep.
Lilacs can also cause foundation damage if the soil is thick and expands when wet and contracts significantly when dry. When there is a drought, the feeder roots draw a lot of moisture from the soil at the tips, which causes it to drastically shrink and can lead to cracks in the foundation. After a heavy rain, the soil fills once more, but the foundation still has fissures. Regardless of the distance between the foundation and the shrub, damage to foundations is unlikely in instances when the soil is light and the foundation is deep.
There is a slight possibility that lilac roots will obstruct water and sewer lines. Lilac roots choose the easiest route to sources of nutrients and water. They are more likely to enter leaking water and sewage lines than sound pipes, though. However, there is little chance of damage if your lilac shrub is located 8 to 10 feet (2-3 m) from water and sewer lines, even if the pipes are cracked.
Can you remove a lilac tree and transplant it?
Lilac plants provide beauty and fragrance to any backyard garden. They are also adaptable shrubs, serving as specimen ornamentals, border plants, or components of floral hedges.
Instead of moving a lilac bush, think about transplanting a root sprout if you think your lilac will look or thrive better elsewhere. Like the French lilac, many lilac species spread by sending out shoots from the base of the bush.
How well do lilacs transplant? It’s the lilac shoots. They can be dug up and replanted, and chances are strong that they will prosper and grow in the new environment. A mature plant can also be moved in its whole, but only if required. You’ll only need to put in a little bit more time and energy.
Can you plant a branch that has been cut off a lilac bush?
Lilac bushes might be difficult to grow from cuttings, but it is not impossible. Take cuttings from the fragile new growth of lilac bushes in the late spring or early summer. Rooting is less likely in mature growth. To enhance your chances of success, make many cuts.
When the weather is chilly and the plant is well-hydrated, take cuttings in the morning. Cut tender, fresh growth in lengths of 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm). Leave two to three leaves on the cuttings at the top after removing the bottom leaves. The nodes—the locations where the leaves were linked to the stem—will produce roots.
Sand, perlite, and potting soil should be added to a pot. Make a small hole in the mixture with a stick or your pinky after briefly moistening it. Plant the cutting in the hole after dipping the bottom in rooting hormone. After that, lightly massage the potting mix around the cutting’s base to help it stand up straight.
If the leaves of the cuttings don’t touch, you can place many ones in the same pot. In celled nursery trays, cuttings can also be planted. Put the saucepan somewhere warm, like the top of a refrigerator. Right now, bright light is not necessary.
If necessary, water the cuttings every day to keep the potting mix moist but never waterlogged. To create a humid environment, you can place a clear plastic bag over the pot; however, you should periodically unzip the bag or poke a few holes in it to allow air circulation; otherwise, the cuttings risk rotting.
In one to two months, the cutting should start to take root, which is typically signalled by the emergence of robust new growth. At this stage, turn the pot to direct light that is bright and let the potting soil air dry for a little while before watering.
Move the lilacs to their permanent outdoor position after allowing them to mature and the roots to become well-established.
Can lilac shoots be transplanted in the fall?
Early spring is the ideal time to transplant lilac shoots since this is the start of new growth. They can also be moved in the fall, but you must hold off until the leaves have fallen. Lilac branch transplantation during these times will aid in the development of a solid root system and healthy plants.
Fungal diseases
This season, the Lilac Pseudocercospora leaf spot, a fungus, was detected in lilac samples examined by the Plant Disease Clinic. The same symptoms have been recorded (yellowing then browning leaves, dieback).
The PDC places a strong emphasis on sanitation because it appears that Pseudocercospora spores can survive on plant detritus for a number of years (leaves, stems, dead flowers, bark).
- To assist lessen the possibility of reinfection the next season, remove fallen leaves.
- Consistent watering and renewal cutting to reduce density will sustain the stressed plant.
Several of the plants in our landscapes, including lilacs, are afflicted by verticillium wilt. Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum are the two fungi that cause it. For a plant with this fungus infection, there is no cure.
- As a result of the fungi clogging the branch’s vascular system and preventing the transfer of water and nutrients, individual branches turn brown and die quickly.
- To increase plant longevity, increase watering and fertilisation.
- The disease can spread across all sections of the afflicted plant, thus the best preventive is to buy resistant cultivars and practise proper hygiene.
Insects
The Lilac Borer, sometimes known as the Ash Borer, is a clearwing borer moth that creates tunnels in lilac stems.
- Frass, sap, and sawdust are warning signs (excrement).
- Some plants can withstand this harm.
- Others see branch dieback, and occasionally the entire plant dies.
- They won’t likely catch anyone’s attention.
Jeff Hahn, an extension entomologist, confirmed that no lilac borer samples have entered his lab this year.
Herbicide damage
Broadleaf weed treatments on lawns may volatilize, changing to a gas, and float onto unintended plants if sprayed during periods of extreme heat and humidity.
Herbicide damage signs like cupping and browning would appear in patterns:
- along a hedge’s one side but not the other,
- bushes positioned in or close to lawn areas, at the same level throughout their bases,
- and most critically, away from the area’s predominant winds.
Lilac hedges next to agricultural fields or other sizable herbicide-treated areas may experience damage in this manner.
How much does a lilac root ball weigh?
Ivory Silk, a type of lilac tree, can grow up to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Ivory Silk grows in full sun and is cold hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 7a. Even as a young tree, it provides an abundance of summer blossoms. Since the lilac tree is dormant in the fall, that is the perfect time to dig it up. A lilac tree’s deep and extensive root system frequently results in a big rootball that requires the assistance of two or more people to remove from the ground.
At a height of four to five feet off the ground, at breast level, gauge the tree trunk’s diameter. The diameter of a lilac tree at breast level is a good indicator of the rootball’s size, according to a study published in the Journal of Arboriculture.
To determine the rootball’s approximate diameter, multiply the trunk’s diameter by 14.
- Ivory Silk, a type of lilac tree, can grow up to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide.
- A lilac tree’s deep and extensive root system frequently results in a big rootball that requires the assistance of two or more people to remove from the ground.
Create a trench that is wide enough to fit the rootball all the way around the tree. Use flour, spray paint, or a garden hose to mark the cut line. Put the spade into the dirt as far as it will go while standing outside the circle and facing the tree. Make a V-shaped trench by pushing the shovel in the direction of the tree.
Continue to remove as much of the rootball as you can by digging down and into the lilac tree’s centre. To release the roots, clear the earth using a shovel. When the rootball has as much of the root system as feasible, a transplanted lilac tree has a higher chance of surviving.
- Create a trench that is wide enough to fit the rootball all the way around the tree.
- Make a V-shaped trench by pushing the shovel in the direction of the tree.
Move the lilac tree to one side and place a piece of canvas that has been rolled below the rootball. Roots that go beyond the anticipated rootball diameter should be removed with loppers. Unroll the canvas while pushing the tree in the opposite direction. Wrap the trunk and rootball in the canvas.
Remove the rootball from the hole and tie the canvas tightly around the trunk with twine, wire, or a strong cord. Use a wheelbarrow or garden waggon to move the lilac tree to its new site.
By affixing a rag or other marker to a limb facing north, indicate the tree’s north side. This will make it easier for you to move the tree and keep it pointed in the same direction. A lilac tree with a 1 1/2-inch diameter has a rootball that is 22 inches in diameter, whereas one with a 6.3-inch diameter has a rootball that is 83 inches in diameter.
Without tree removal equipment that can dig deeply enough and sustain the weight of the rootball, moving a rootball with a diameter greater than 3 feet is not practical.