skip to main content

Can I force lilacs in late winter?

7 years ago

I know you can force some bushes like forsythia, to flower early, but can you do that with lilac? I mean taking some cuttings and bringing them inside where its warm so they bloom early. What other bushes can I use. I am in zone 4 Wisconsin.

thank you in advance.

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

7 years ago

Depends on the plant or shrub you are trying to force. Late winter is probably too early for lilacs but very early bloom shrubs like forsythia, flowering quince, witch hazel, some spiraeas or flowering almond and other early fruit trees can be cut and forced as soon as you see signs of the buds swelling.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
i say no.. but i never tried it ....

you could have tried it.. faster than posting this.. lol ...

give it a try .. weirder things have happened ...

ken

ps: im going to guess.... its an issue how far formed the bud is in fall .... rather than having to develop in spring [like a huge L bud].... so i would look to the ones that dont bloom in spring.. due to a bad winter.. lol ...
Related Discussions
Forcing bulbs is a good value for winter flowers
Q
Comments (17)
I would like to learn what bulbs (other than paperwhites) are suitable for forcing over just touching water and colored glass/ pebbles. I saw a pot with rocks for sale at BJ's Wholesale Club - it had two large purplish bulbs included - but no directions, or clues to the bulbs on the package - or in it. I am tempted to go back and buy it - just to let it grow and see what they are! I went to an open house this week - where the hostess had placed lots of paperwhites over pebbles in very tall glass vases of different sizes and shapes all over her house....The height of the vase supported the flowers as they grew and they looked beautiful with large lacy gold bows on the vases. I thought that the arrangement was very clever - as my problem with paperwhites over the years has always been their tendancy to fall over when they are fully mature. Any ideas for other bulb choices? Thanks!
...See More
too late to prune my lilac?
Q
Comments (3)
they do not set next years buds on the seed pods ... below the seeds.. a bud will start elongating and at the terminal end of that.. come fall.. buds will be set for next years show ... so if you JUST cut off the seed pod branchlet.. you will not be cutting the prime area ... that said.. how are you going to enjoy the flowers which will be 10 feet up next year.. google rejuvenation pruning of flowering shrubs.. on how to return this thing to a manageable height .. ken
...See More
Too late to plant my new baby Lilac Sensation?
Q
Comments (2)
in my z5 .. 10/1 is the target.. a week or two either way .. with a deadline of about 11/1 giving it at least a month.. and preferably 2 months before ground freeze ... your z6.. adds a week, at least to every number its actually.. too early .. rather than too late.. to do this job ken
...See More
Sensation French Lilac...to late to prune
Q
Comments (2)
There is actually some show of back budding on the branches...out of the two I liked,this one shows potential without the chops showing that back budding. A seedling would take a very long time to develop the base...the roots/nabari. Which is the first thing one looks at with bonsai. So chopping now won't cause die back this winter...that was my biggest concern. Phew! Thanks... Just getting into bonsai...this would be a more untraditional one...Korean lilac more chosen for more dwarf like blooms and leaves. But, the base on this caught my eye. Now the nursery girl mentioned that they see a plant not planted well when they see what I am desiring. Where in bonsai an old tree the roots push up and are noticeable...so Nabari/roots on a young tree gives it an appearance of an old tree.
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
the list sounds like low # petaled flowers.. [i would call them simple flowers.. but that term might mean something else, maybe sexual parts or something].....compared to the clustered flowers like lilac ...

ken
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
GG has given good advice. You can force lilac but only after flowers buds are visible. Nothing to do with flower structure, just seasonality.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
flora confuses me.. lilac buds are set the previous fall ... and are nearly microscopic.. but can be SEEN .... if you look hard enough ...

i dont see how an 18 inch branch cut in winter ... could have the stored energy to make a 6 to 8 inch lilac flower cluster ...

ken

ps: its easier to confuse me in winter .. lol
sue
Original Author
7 years ago
forsythia can be forced pretty easy, and i take cuttings when you really can't see much of a bud at all. They just develop if you put the cuttings in warm conditions. Very nice to see flowers in early spring before everything else is blooming. this is in zone 4, Wisconsin
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Many shrubs set flower buds at the end of the prior season. But that doesn't necessarily make them good candidates for forcing in late winter. It is the timing of the flowering and when the flower buds start swelling. It is most effective with the very early blooming shrubs/trees mentioned or those other early bloomers that tend to produce their flowers before leafing out.

There is a bit of a time limit involved as well - the frequent suggestion is to cut stems for forcing no earlier than about 6 weeks before usual bloom time. And that's probably the outer edge! For common lilacs, that would be about mid to late March at the earliest......more like early spring. And yes, you can force a lilac into bloom but you just want to attempt it much later than you would with the forsythia, etc.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Visible. Ken, not set. Maybe I wasn't clear enough. They have to be fairly well developed.

Related Stories

HOUSEPLANTS How to Force Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors

By creative jewish mom.com

Enjoy vibrant red blossoms even as gardens turn snowy white, by teaching this hardy repeat performer to ignore the calendar

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Lilac Vine for a Purple Profusion in Winter

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Grow this pretty, hardy vine on a fence or as a ground cover for blooms throughout the colder months

12 Fun Late-Winter Projects

By Erin Lang Norris

Pick a simple DIY idea to help get you through to spring

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Late-Winter and Early-Spring Bloomers for the West

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Tired of waiting for spring to arrive? Try these drought-tolerant, flowering plants for color that starts in late winter

THE POLITE HOUSE The Polite House: What Can I Do About My Neighbors’ Trash Cans?

If you’re tired of staring at unsightly garbage way before pickup day, it’s time to have some tough conversations

GARDENING GUIDES Let Lilac Love Flower This Spring

By Alison Hodgson

Whatever you bestow or receive for Mother's Day, lilacs can be an unmatched gift in the garden in May

GROUND COVERS Ground Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

LIFE Late Again? Eliminate the Things Holding You Up in the Morning

By Emily Hutchinson

If you find yourself constantly running late for appointments, work and get-togethers, these tips could help

DIY PROJECTS Holiday DIY: Mason Jar Forced Bulbs and Evergreen Gift Tags

Learn how to make these winter projects from the book ‘Garden Made’ by Stephanie Rose

GARDENING GUIDES How You Can Rejuvenate Your Citrus Trees This Winter

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Give citrus trees a fresh start with these simple tips, and enjoy their abundant fruit and beauty

Sponsored

More Discussions

Cutting Back Stems After Transplant With Plant Shock?

13

Should I cut back the top of a bare root tree?

3

Can I top off Kwanzan cherry tree with a single long branch

20

How do you know spring has arrived?

44

anyone experience these winter killed?

6