Pruning Lilac?

When should I prune my Lilac Thanx

Pruning Lilac?
Lilacs are probably the most popular flowering shrub Those fragrant purple or white flowers of the common lilac remind us just how wonderful spring is. And the colorful magenta, red, pink single and double flowers of the hybrid lilacs suggest that the beauty of this plant is boundless.





But if not tended properly, the lilac bush soon degenerates into mostly unproductive wood with fewer, smaller flowers.





You can keep your lilac shrubs healthy with the help of a good pruning tool. Prune lilacs for the first time when they are head-high. The best time of year to prune is right after the lilac flowers. Deadheading (removing spent flower heads) is useful on young plants but is seldom worth the time and effort on mature specimens.





Remove all dead and diseased wood, broken branches and pest-infested canes. Maintain about 12 healthy canes per bush. These should be from six to eight years old. Older wood is relatively unproductive and may flower only at the top of the plant.





Once the bush is established, remove the oldest one-sixth to one-eighth of the canes each year and select the same number of suckers to replace them. Remove all other suckers or the plant can quickly become choked and overgrown.
Reply:when its overgrown
Reply:if in doubt, prune between october and february.
Reply:Cut out thin and unproductive branches immediately after flowering.
Reply:Dependant on the age of the lilac,but a good rule of thumb is after flowering. LF



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