your base problem.. is that you thought that a NEW TRANSPLANT.. would be vigorous and explode in growth .. all i expect the first year.. is for it not to die .. you water when it needs it.. and you find out by inserting your index finger.. or digging a small hole next the the part you planted.. and insuring that it is damp thru the whole root zone .. and then NOT watering again.. until it near dries.. NO GUESSING ... i would NEVER feed nor amend the soil on a new transplant.. IMHO.. lilac NEVER needs fert ... and you need a nice circle of mulch around it ... and in 40 years of owning lilac.. i never used a chemical nor bug solution ever.. the leaf damage looks mechanical.. not chewing.. shipping damage?? hail??? dog.. kids??? lilac also needs full sun .. is yours in full sun??? you are on the verge of trying to love it to death ... water PROPERLY.. and step away from it ... and forget about some special CO winter rules ... if properly watered.. and happy going into fall.. it should be bulletproof ... water deep into fall.. but do not allow it to freeze its roots in a manmade ice cube ... ken

Hello all, I have inherited a lilac bush, but it seems to be doing less than awesomely. Is there anything I can do to resuscitate it, or is it a lost cause? Any advice, or info as to what might be wrong, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!also, I apologize that the picture is sideways, I can't seem to adjust that

Did you plant the lilacs and know the age and variety? Did it topple and pull out of the ground or break off near the base? Have you dug up the roots to see what the roots look like and if it broke, what do the stems look like at the break, alive or dead? Does water collect there or is the soil constantly really wet? Does it have a swampy smell in warm weather or just smell like regular dirt? I am just trying to get more info since if there in fact another cause, my suggestions may not work for you. If you have a photo, that might help as well. Also, you want to know your growing zone since Maine ranges from zones 3-6, a 30 degree difference in the average lowest winter temperatures. You can look up your zone on the map linked below. http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx For my area, moisture tolerant shrubs include: Rhododendron viscosum/swamp Rhododendron with scented spring bloom, Clethra/summersweet which has late summer flowers and gorgeous yellow fall color, Itea virginiana/sweetspire with later summer flowers and red fall foliage, one of the shorter cultivars of winterberry holly/Ilex verticillata (need a male for every 6 or so females to get the beautiful fall berries, their only spectacular aspect) red-twigged dogwood, some of which have variegated leaves and some of which have yellow fall color but are mostly grown for winter red stems one of the really small selections of the native white cedar AKA arborvitae, but be sure you get Thuja occidentalis rather than one of the less moisture tolerant species of Thuja. Most of these exceed you height requirements by a large amount and if you have deer that come that close to the house they will get eaten, but they are a wonderful evergreen if you can find a small enough cultivar.

Looks like the situation in the post about the viburnum hedge where the poster got told almost immediately afterward by USDA Extension or similar source (that samples were apparently sent to) that it was honey fungus. In addition lilacs have been said by other sources to be particularly prone to honey fungus.