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Is it too late to cut back old lilac in Zone 6?

4 years ago

We just realized our antique lilac clump is shading out our daylilies. Is it too far past blooming to do this now in Rhode Island and still get blooms next year? (If I need to check whether buds have begun, is there a photo illustrating them that I could compare my current shrub to?) Many thanks.

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
if you do proper renovation pruning .. only taking 1/3 of the plant.. the oldest trunks ... then the remaining 2/3 will bloom normally next spring ... you might be surprised at what is accomplished by just that little ... that is how you avoid total loss of flower ...

i would not give the whole thing a haircut ... unless you are willing to forego bloom next spring ...

its probably not too late.. but why risk it ...

and you might think about moving the daylily in fall ... as the lilac isnt going to get smaller ... with no insult to the root mass ... it will grow back rather fast .. so it will be an ongoing battle to contain it.. so move the DL ... think outside the box you are in ...

ken

watch a couple of these.. if for no other reason.. to campare the process

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lilac+renovation+pruning&t=ffcm&iax=videos&ia=videos
lennon2
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you, Ken_Adrian, and I'm sure you're the voice of reason. But I framed the question to find out if anyone knew how late I could go, and if there's a developing-bud image (or the proper terminology to help me zero in on what to look for in Google images) that I could look for as a backstop. While I'm grateful for your prudent advice, I'd still love answers to my wilder side's questions!
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Embothrium
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
What amount of pruning are you thinking of doing? Any lilac branch you cut back much at all is not going to bloom the following year regardless of timing. The best thing might be to move the affected perennials farther away from the shrub. Otherwise maybe there are individual lilac branches you can saw down to about 18 inches to let in light. And have them start over, with a more vertical growth habit that will last for some years. The time to do this would be at the end of winter.
lennon2 thanked Embothrium

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