Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Lilac tree stunted growth

helschapmanhelschapman Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I've had a lilac tree planted in the garden for the last 9 years. It's been happy until last year. Last year one section had branches with either nothing growing or very stunted growth. I cut the offending limb off the tree, and pruned the rest of it as usual once the flowers had gone over last spring. This year, I watched green buds appearing on the branches and felt relieved. But now I can see all the lilac is out in the neighbourhood and mine is just tiny stunted growth. I can't see any sign of disease, spots, discolouration, it's just not growing. I don't know if this spells the end of my lilac tree or not, and what could have caused it after so many years of being happy. Any advice very gratefully received.

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Is it droughted? Ours is a dwarf one and is in full flower now but it been known to sulk some years especially if no rain for some time.
  • helschapmanhelschapman Posts: 5
    I doubt it, given the amount of rain this year! 
  • lymer.paulx4hsxxEAlymer.paulx4hsxxEA Posts: 13
    Any ideas on how big / tall Lilacs should grow @helschapman?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's very sparse. They're covered in foliage round here, as well as flower buds. What's growing round about it @helschapman ? If it's very close to that fence, that can be a problem too.
    It certainly shouldn't be giving up the ghost so soon, so there's clearly something not right with where/how it's growing. if you're pruning every year, and then you had those drought conditions, that won't have been ideal. They don't tend to need pruning very often - just the odd bit of tidying of damaged branches or similar. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • helschapmanhelschapman Posts: 5
    I guess it's just that this is the first year it's done this and nothing much has changed. I has got room between it and the fence, it's not really got anything growing around it, just a few grape hyacinths over spring, which have gone over now. It has lots of new shoots sprouting up from the base of the trunk, so it's obviously trying to stay alive, and the weather has been as it always is, lots of rain, not drought. I've always cared for it the same way every year, hence my bafflement at what is causing this stunted growth. I've Googled it but no answers!

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited May 2023
    The suckers are a bit of a sign - they appear if you tend to prune them hard, as that's a common reaction with many plants of that type. It can gradually weaken the main plant over time. You can take them off - it might be better to pull them rather than cut.
    Like many shrubs, you can rejuvenate them by cutting them right back hard all over - best done when dormant though, so you could do that later in the autumn/early winter. You'll lose flowers for a year, but it could be worth doing that.

    I believe you can grow a new shrub from the suckers too - but make sure they're actually lilac if it's a grafted shrub. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.