Pruning an overgrown lilac bush?

I have just moved into a new home and have a neglected lilac bush. Small maple shoots are sprouting around it, branches are broken, but still have blooms on the end, the branches are bending from the heavy wieght. I have looked online and it says to prune after flowers die, then I see that is also says to prune in late winter...I am wondering if I can prune it down now or have to wait?

Pruning an overgrown lilac bush?
Lilacs set flower buds on old wood.....so prune it immediately after blooming so you don%26#039;t waste any of those flower buds. First remove all broken/dead stems as they just invite disease/decay causing pathogens.


Then look at reducing the living portion by no more than one third. Taking out the largest (oldest) cane might be all you need to do. Next year do the same thing, then the year after that. After three or four years you have a brand new shrub that should be blooming like crazy.


And of course get those maples out of there.......
Reply:prune after it blooms so you can enjoy the blooms.


Cut back inside if you can to open up to give it an airy feel inside.





Cut out the maple shoots that you see - they are really weeds to you in this location.





When you prune it prune it back as far as you feel you need. Bear in mind there is a chance that you are sacrificing next years bloooms. This is going to be a small price to pay to ensure that you will have a healthy bush for further years.





The general rule when pruning is to prune back for shape and form and then after that prune hard by cutting away about 1/3 of the branches to air out and refresh to tree/bush.





Any branches that seem to be rubbing against wach other need to be removed. Also branches going straight up should be pruned off as they are anyway unlikely to produce blooms and just prevent airflow within the bush.





Welcome to your new pkace. Enjoy the home and the garden





Oh yeah, the reason sometimes for the late winter idea is you cna prune away anything that has died.
Reply:You can prune it at anytime but pruning when the plant is dormant reduces the risk of infections entering the cut.It should flush out before fall if you prune now and may have time to set buds for next year before fall.





If it has been badly neglected you are best advised to prune it right back to 6 inches above the ground even though you will need to wait for the plant to resume flowering. In my area that would be a miss only.





If it a grafted tree, prune any shoots below the graft right off and keep them o0ff in the future.





As it regrows you can do maintenance pruning yearly after flowering and have a heavier, tighter flowering bush.
Reply:The only time a lilac can be pruned is when all flowers in the spring die. When you cut the dead flowers off you can shape and clean up the habit of the tree (bush).





I don%26#039;t know about you but I always like to know why. After the flowers die, the lilac starts working on producing the buds that will become your flowers next year. These buds are held inside and can not be seen this summer. Trust me though they are there. If you prune any other time of the year your lilac will not blossom next year.
Reply:Always prune 1/3 of the bush right after it blooms. Then you may prune it down to a manageable size. The area left unpruned will bloom next year,while the pruned section will not. Then prune that section down to size next spring after it blooms to even out the shrub. Always start by pruning out any dead and crossed branches. All lilacs bloom on last years wood. Don%26#039;t worry it%26#039;ll be a vigorous growing blooming plant once pruned. Pruning actually stimulates the roots and more blooms.
Reply:Prune it after it flowers.....it is best to prune it so it is only 3or 4 foot high from the ground....it will not flower again for 2 or 3 years but it will be a nice looking scrub...also remove dead matter as for the maples i had that problem also i just kept cutting and pulling them out it takes a while to get rid of them maybe a nursery can give u a better idea on that.



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