Beautiful Healthy Lilac in 3 simple steps

Lilacs are a welcome sight, providing beautiful blooms and sweet fragrance every spring. The old-fashioned beauties are ideal for growing in Canadian gardens.

Once established, lilacs are easy to get along with, thriving for many years with very little assistance. Here are a few tips for growing beautiful, healthy lilac trees.

1. Planting a Lilac Tree

Plant lilacs in spring or fall. Select a spot where the trees receive at least six hours of sunlight per day; lilacs don’t bloom well in shade.

Before planting, enrich the soil with compost and an organic-based tree and shrub plant food. Dig the fertilizer into the top 6 cm of soil. It’s best to do this a few weeks ahead of time. 

Water the newly planted lilac thoroughly, then apply a layer of mulch to keep the soil moist. 

2. Feeding Your Lilac Tree

Feed your lilac tree in early spring, using an organic-based tree and shrub plant food containing organic materials such as Canadian sphagnum moss, which will aerate the soil and improve water retention.  Mix the fertilizer into top 1 to 2 cm of soil.

Follow label recommendations closely. Over-fertilizing can cause lilacs not to bloom.

3. Keeping Lilacs Beautiful and Healthy

Water young lilac trees regularly during the first couple of years, especially during hot, dry weather. Thereafter, lilacs are relatively drought-tolerant, but they appreciate a good drink of water whenever rainfall is in short supply. 

Lilacs don’t need a lot of pruning, but once the tree is three years old, you can rejuvenate your lilac tree every spring by removing up to one-third of older, weaker branches.

Remove blooms a couple of weeks after they wilt to encourage production of more flowers.