My lilac used to be filled with lovely flowers, but for the past few years it has had only a few blooms. How can I get my old lilac back?
There are several reasons that a lilac might not bloom; here are some of the most common problems.
- First of all, lilacs need full sun. Have nearby trees matured and are now shading the lilac? If so, perhaps you can prune the trees to allow more sunshine to reach the shrub.
- You may be removing flower buds through improper pruning. Lilacs bloom on "old wood." The flower buds form the previous summer so the shrubs should be pruned right after they bloom. Pruning later in the summer, or in early spring, will remove the flower buds.
- Is the plant growing well, with lush green foliage? Over-fertilizing with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer can cause leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Don’t fertilize the shrub this year (including the lawn underneath), and see if that helps.
