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When and how to liven up my leggy lilacs, help please
Beaus Mum
Posts: 3,554
I have 4 lilacs that I brought by mail order about 5 years ago and finally this year they bloomed quite well, however although quite tall now they are very leggy, ie nothing at the bottom and only leaves top couple of foot. I have never cut back only trimmed off dead branches. Would they benefit from a good prune or shall I just leave be and grow something up the bare bottom
Thanking you in advance for any advice
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They benefit from the '1 in 3' pruning that so many shrubs benefit from. After they flower, you take out about a third of stems that aren't productive - old diseased stuff, suckers and weak thin stems, and anything rubbing or crossing. It's a bit late for this year, but you could probably still take back some stuff at the front which will flower in a couple of years. It won't always be necessary to take as much as a third but they're like Philadelphus - they need pruning properly to get them flowering at their best. The idea is that you always have some new growth maturing over a couple of years to carry the flowers. I've also seen them pruned to form a lollipop shape. The lower branches all removed to form a defined trunk and the top kept as a the flowering bit. You can also hack them right back to the ankles, but I'd only do that with an old, neglected shrub that needs rejuvenating.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you fairy girl. I think I'll do the lolly pop idea on two of them as they are not far off that now and I'll heed your advise on my real big one,
Thanks again, much appreciated
I've always wanted the white one but never got round to it. They prefer a more alkaline soil and mine's neutral, but I think I'd get away with it, and there's plenty of the purple varieties growing well enough round here so I may be tempted!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've got a white one and no idea what type of soil I have
I actually brought it about 10 years ago and when I moved gave it to my friend and then after moving again to here my friend gave it me back! Too big for her liking 
Good for my liking 
It is now in its second place in the back garden here trying to get big to help screen my neighbours ugly shed!
If I can do cutting or anything please let me know and I'll do one for you, don't know if you can or not and if I can you will have to tell me how to do