Even in zone 6b/7a I have found that my 'Miss Kim' Lilacs can handle a little morning shade, but need noonday and full afternoon sun. Late last fall I had to move two of mine that were planted on top of a berm, under the northeast canopy side of my sumard oak tree. Even though they got full morning sun and only late afternoon sun they suffered from too much shade. After moving them to the area of the same berm which is on the south side of that tree. They only get early morning shade and are now doing fine.

I agree that just like you mentioned, your lilacs that are suffering must be also getting too much shade.

Oh, dear. Should I dig them up and move them? Or are they too far gone? What would be a good shrub to plant there then? I need a privacy screen, so it would have to grow at least 8-10 feet high or higher, and I wanted a flowering shrub. Lilacs seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I love lilacs.

Hydrangeas? Butterfly bush? Snowball bush?

I really thought they'd have enough sun. They get sun from dawn to about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, then dappled sun from then on, so that would be at least 8 hours. In our heat, any more and I'm afraid it would burn them. But I admit that the ones that get full, baking sun seem to be doing better.

My first thought is that maybe they should have mulch on the soil around them. This mulch should be about 4 inches deep. Wood chips, which are available at good nurseries would work well. They are usually sold for a reasonable price if you get them from the nurseries bulk bins which will be outdoors. You can also buy them in bags at places like Lowe's or Home Depot. They cost more that way but are readily available and convenient to carry. You will need about a bag per plant.

Mulch will keep the root zone moist which is important especially during the first few years when the plant is getting established. I would be sure there was a circle of mulch about 4 inches deep and 4 feet in diameter. Shrubs need a constant supply of moisture in their root zone in order to get established. The most important feeder roots are in the top few inches of soil. Mulch will keep those few inches from drying out. Also there are literally thousands of microorganisms that are critical in assisting plants in taking up nutrients. These microorganisms include bacteria and fungi.

Keep the mulch a couple of inches away from the branches emerging from the ground. This will assure that the branches are not too wet. The roots are designed for continuous exposure to moisture, the branches are not.

The mulch will gradually break down and combine with the soil. This will help your sandy soil retain moisture better and provide an even better environment for the helpful microorganisms.

I would also suggest you NOT use Miracle Grow. It contains salts that pull moisture out of the microorganisms and cause them to die. In the last 20 years horticultural researchers have become aware that there are very complex positive synergistic relationships between microorganisms and plants. Man-made nitrogen contains salts and as I said these are toxic to microorganisms. Im not a bleeding heart environmentalist but I am very interested in the science of making my garden flower. I really donÂt want to come across as a knee jerk organic gardener!

A better alternatives for nitrogen would be fish emulsion which will be available at most nurseries and probably LoweÂs etc. Bone meal, or better yet ground rock phosphorous (if available in your area) will be a good source of phosphorous. Again, don't use "fast food" man made phosphorous fertilizers. A good organic source of potassium is various kelp based products. The "organic" method will provide NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) and lots of micronutrients. Scientists keep finding new things in food that help us to survive and prosper; for example, the recent recognition of the importance of anthocyanin pigments in food such as blueberries. In the same way, scientists are now discovering that organic fertilizers provide many helpful things besides NPK. The more complex a plants diet is, the better its chances are of getting the benefits of as yet undiscovered growth promoters. I am afraid that using Miracle Grow is like trying to survive and prosper on a one-a-day vitamin pill.

Unfortunately the truly useful moisture meters are costly. An initial outlay of about $300 is about as cheap as they come. The inexpensive ones are not considered accurate enough to give a useful reading. I would use my fingers to tell if the ground is damp to a depth of at least 5 inches. It should never dry out for a young shrub. You should never see the leaves wilt if you want to assure a young shrubs survival. Best of luck to you. It sounds like you have collected an interesting group of lilacs. Wishing you lots of pretty flowers!

Evonline, thanks for your input. Most of the lilacs have a layer of lava rock around them. I don't know if that's the best thing, but it's what I had. I do have a bag of chips that I can use, too.

I have used Miracle-Gro, essentially because that's what I had. I did recently buy some fish emulsion/kelp organic fertilizer, and this afternoon I sprayed it on my plants and the soil surrounding, including my lilacs. I've heard that about Miracle-Gro, that it's the equivalent of taking a one-a-day vitamin, which doesn't compare with eating a healthy diet that includes all the vitamins and micronutrients.

Slowly I'm adding things to make yardwork and gardening easier. I recently bought a 75' hose that makes watering easier.

Hi.....I lived in Denver for 27 yrs and had tons of lilacs at both my homes. First off sounds like most of them are getting PLENTY of sun! Do you know that one hour of CO sun is equal to 3 hrs of New England sun? I had a hedge of lilacs that saw sun only from about 7 to 11 and they were stunning. Persian/Chinese lilacs I think which are the most floriferous. But the ones in dappled light need to move.

Second? Lilacs prefer clay soil....limey and alkaline. I always had clay/not sand which I DID love since the moisture is retained...but I always added lots of compost and the top 2 inches straight compost which allows water to penetrate fast. With your sandy soil I'd load up with compost to retain moisture...don't use bagged topsoil...it dries out like nobody's business. (I had a friend who created a new bed once, removed most of the clay and replaced with topsoil. If she didn't water about every day in summer, her plants caved.) Compost is what holds the moisture. IF you have some friends with clay soil, I'd get some.

I'd also buy some lime and add that when you replant. Sandy soil won't have much.

Another problem perhaps? Your lava rock is reflecting too much heat.....especially with such young plants. I'd do an organic mulch.

Lilacs seem to do better in well draining and a more alkaline soil type, so do not use a wood based mulch. Just like creaping phlox, lilacs seem to do better with rock mulches, or no mulch at all if the soil above their rootball is shaded.