in re lilac love, why no blooms this year? for Questionland Seattle

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in re lilac love, why no blooms this year?

I've got a seven- or eight-year-old lilac bush, it's bloomed every year, lots of full strong deep purple blooms, and this year, two flowers on the whole bush. the neighbors' lilacs are blooming like mad. i am sad. what did or didn't i do this year?

Matthew Richter asked in Flowers about 1 year ago | Report

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Master Gardener Andrea

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There are a number of reasons why your lilac may not be blooming. Without seeing your garden, it’s always difficult to accurately diagnose a problem. Let me list factors that can contribute to lilacs not flowering:

1. Your lilac may not be getting enough sun. Lilacs need at least 6 hours of sunlight. If the area around the bush is getting too shady, you may want to move it to a sunnier spot or thin the area around it to make sure enough sun is reaching the entire plant.
2. Too much fertilizer can prevent flowering. If your lilac is located near a lawn, it could be getting too much nitrogen when you fertilize. Apply a balanced 5-1-1 fertilizer before buds begin to swell in early-spring. Bone meal works well, too.
3. A late freeze may have knocked off buds. Did you inspect your lilac prior to when it should have bloomed to see buds?
4. Heavy pruning can prevent flowers. Here’s a tip from the "Washington & Oregon Gardener’s Guide" by Debra Prinzing and Mary Robson(2004): “Flowers form on old wood from the previous year, developing just below the current year’s flowers. It’s not necessary to remove spent flowers. Lilacs begin to form new buds for the following year soon after bloom; stems that bloom one year generally bloom the next. Allow the plant to grow without pruning until it begins to bloom, which may be several years. Regular pruning and tidying keeps plants healthy by improving air circulation. For major renovation, prune in midwinter when the plant’s form is visible, removing a few of the oldest canes at the root level. To keep the plant open, pull or break off suckers as they come up"
5. Some pests can prevent flowering. Inspect the stems and leaves carefully for scale insects like the oyster shell. If present, identify the pest by referring to WSU Horstsense (go to Ornamentals and click on lilacs) http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense/
6. Another reason can be your plant may not be getting enough water, although given last year’s dreary summer, it’s probably unlikely. Still, it’s worth mentioning as a possible cause. Lilacs don’t like their feet constantly wet, but summer droughts (yes, we have a drought every summer, especially in mid-July, August, and sometimes, September) also can take a toll on the next year’s flower buds. Keep your lilac on a regular watering schedule and adjust it for heavy rain or extended periods of drought (just be sure not to over-water).
7. Shock can contribute to no or little flowering. Many gardeners complain they buy a lilac in flower, bring it home, plant it, and it doesn’t flower for 5-7 years. In "Ask Ciscoe" (2007) Ciscoe Morris states,”Lilacs are famous for taking years to bloom in the garden, even if they were in bloom when you planted them. They bloom at the nursery because of the stress caused from being trapped in small nursery pots. Once you plant them in better conditions, however, there in no hurry to raise a family; instead, they put their energy to growing healthy, strong root systems. Usually it takes 5 to 7 years to begin flowering, but even fifteen years before blossoming is not unheard of.” Here's Ciscoes aggressive recommendaton, “ If after seven years, your plant fails to bloom, here’s what you can do: In June, dig the plant out as you would if you were going to move it, but instead replant it right back in the same spot. This should stress the plant enough to convince it to start a family by blooming and forming seed the following year.”
8. Soil should be neutral to slightly alkaline. If too acidic, you’ll need to add lime. Test your soil to check the pH. Soil testing kits are available, although not as accurate as a lab test. WSU Extension no longer performs soil testing. Check Fact Sheet #6 Soil Testing and Soil Improvement for more information http://king.wsu.edu/gardening/documents/6SoilTestingandSoilImprovement_001.pdf. Also, Flower World in Snohomish offers soil testing.

Well, I don’t know if any of this information will solve your lilac problem. I only hope it gives you a little more information to ponder. Oh, and Ciscoe also says, if all else fails, "walk in from of it with a chainsaw and smile menacingly! Good luck!

-Andrea

Master Gardener Andrea answered in Flowers about 1 year ago | Report

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