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My Lilac hasn't blossomed this year – is it dying?

janejardinek34Q01Wzjanejardinek34Q01Wz Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hello! This lovely lilac tree was here when I bought the house in 2014. I've never done anything to it, except water the garden occasionally and give it some bone meal once a year and it's always blossomed and looked lovely. Suddenly this year, no growth at all. I love this tree – please can you advise on what to do? (I'm not an experienced gardener but would love to get better at it) Thank you, Jane


Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The cold weather means the season is late, and even then it's a tad early for lilac to be blooming ... or even in leaf.  If you're concerned you can gently scrape the surface of the bark with your thumb nail, if it's green underneath you have nothing to worry about ... it's alive.

    All that being said, we've had a very dry spring so far ... three buckets of water poured gently over the root area twice a week could not go amiss and might do a lot of good. 
     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • borgadrborgadr Posts: 718
    You didn't say where you are. But down here in Kent my lilac is not flowering yet either - it's in leaf and there are flower buds emerging.
    Everything seems to be growing slowly in this cold, very dry spring.  I have an area of grass I deliberately haven't mowed since November, and it's barely 3 inches tall.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I have 2 lilacs. Both my Korean lilac and my ordinary lilac are just breaking bud.
    Late this year due to the cold I'd guess

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • janejardinek34Q01Wzjanejardinek34Q01Wz Posts: 3
    I'm in freezing Leeds (Yorkshire) :D  Ah thank you all so much, you've given me hope that it might be ok! I will water it today & check the bark too @Dovefromabove, thank you 

  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    On this side of the pond in Texas, lilacs have leafed out but are not blooming yet either. Your lilac should be next 'leafing out' soon. You just have to wait for the overnight temperatures to warm up a tad more.
  • janejardinek34Q01Wzjanejardinek34Q01Wz Posts: 3
    That's interesting @luis_pr Yes it's been quite cold here overnights, so hopefully it'll come back to life soon 👍 

  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Mine has just started flowering in South London...their Greek name is Πασχαλιά / Easter as they tend to coincide flowering with Greek Easter 😉 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    Nice picture. Thanks for sharing! Send us some of the scent in an email the next time!!! :):):)
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