Hi there, I just ran across this thread, I cut all my abutilons back to the main stems, cut off all the leaves, rinse off all the old soil then repot in fresh potting soil. I get rid of any unwanted insects this way. I let them settle in their new medium in the garage for a month or so and then bring them in the house and grow them under lights for the winter. I frequently prune them back during winter to keep them 'in bounds'. They do grow and bloom beautifully under the lights although that isn't my focus. I'm just trying to keep my plants going over the winter. I've got some mature specimens of A. 'Pictum thompsonnii' that are over four feet tall right now. These plants are four years old and have been wintered over in this manner since I purchased them. Breaks my heart to cut all that lovely growth back but I can't keep them that size in the house. During the summer months I feed twice a week or so with a liquid fertilizer like Miracle Grow or Peters. Deanne

Well, Jude is gone. I clipped his three blooms and brought them with when I took him and some other things to a friends house. That fragrance convinced her to take him on as a project, lol! The cement sidewalk is definitely not the issue, as every other thing in there looks like a jungle, including two late-planted bands from last year that were already bigger than a 3 yr old Jude when he left. I do adore that fragrance, though, so I think I wll be ordering him grafted for next Spring. I am tired of waiting! Terryjean, I remember those Lillians. Jude has no excuse now.

However, since the Japanese Tree Lilacs will grow bigger than the S. vulgaris hybrids you thought you were getting, you might want to rethink where they are. From the photos, it looks as though they would be good trees for the location. I am not sure, but they might be a more expensive plant than what you thought you were getting, so if you can live with them, and handle the extra height, you might have the better end of the deal. If you REALLY don't want them - more height, different plant than you contracted for, lack of fragrance, different time of bloom, etc., then contact the Nursery and ask them to replace them. They may not be willing to, who knows, but you should get SOME redress, if only a steep discount on your next major purchases.

I agree that it looks like insufficient moisture. Here in central NH we had no rain from the first week of April until late May, often with temperatures far above normal, upper 80's and even low 90's. If your weather was anything like ours, the soil had quite a moisture deficit, and if your June rainfall was low as well it was really hard on your new lilacs. Your lilac doesn't yet have much of a root system, so it's not surprising that it is suffering more than your other plants. I would remove more of the grass (it competes for moisture) and then add an organic mulch such as shredded bark over the bare soil to help retain moisture during the week while you are gone. Water slowly and well when you get there on the weekend, and again before you leave. It is currently trying to grow roots and regrow leaves that died when it dried out. No fertilizer or ash or anything else - let it settle in and get its feet under it. It may not grow above ground a huge amount next season as it continues to grow roots, but you should see more growth the following seasons. Shrubs are a lesson in patience. This wouldn't be a good time of year to replant, so take good care of it this summer, and if it doesn't leaf out before fall, then in early fall replace it. It will probably adjust better since the soil is still warm (for root growth) but days are cooler and shorter, so less stressful for the plant. Mulch well if you replant to help retain moisture and warmth, and to prevent frost heaving.