Lilac: planting and care in the open field, pruning, disease, photo

Lilac is one of the most beloved shrubs, the flowering of which is associated with the real onset of spring. The divine aromas spread during this period fascinate, fall in love with yourself. Due to the dense lush crown, the plant is often used to form green walls that cover a certain area from prying eyes.

Belonging to the olive family, lilac is one of the main inhabitants of gardens and home gardens. Outwardly, this luxurious shrub is characterized by large purple, pink or white flowers, collected in paniculate inflorescences, located at the ends of the branches. The fruit is a bivalve dry box. The leaves are green, most often whole, less often pinnatipartite; fall for the winter. Lilac, planting and care of which in the household is practically minimized, has a high endurance, grows well in the open air.

The most popular types of lilacs

By varieties, lilacs, planting and caring for which are quite easy, are divided into simple and terry. Common lilac, a native of the Balkan Peninsula, has become most widespread, on the territory of which it grows at high altitude and clings to steep rocky slopes with its roots. Blooms in May with purple and white flowers. Has many varieties.

Persian lilac. Characterized by fragrant purple flowers. Some of its varieties have pinnately cut leaves. The flowers are white.

Chinese lilac. It is a hybrid of the common and Persian. Characterized by large red-purple flowers.

Lilac Hungarian. The flowers are purple, with a barely perceptible aroma. Flowering occurs in late May - June.

Lilac: planting and care in the open field

Planting lilacs is recommended to be done on neutral or slightly alkaline soils; too waterlogged soil can cause the death of the plant.

The landing site should be well lit; with a lack of sun, plant growth will be slow, flowering may be absent. Strong sunshine can cause lilacs to develop small and fast-blooming inflorescences. Optimal for planting is a sunny, well-protected place from the winds.

Planting lilacs should be carried out in late summer - early autumn, preferably in the evening or in damp, cloudy weather. The depth of the planting pit, dug in advance for 2-3 weeks, is recommended from 0.5 to 1 meter with the same width. Be sure to add organic fertilizers, wood ash or humus to the soil when planting (up to 20 kg per planting pit).

Quality flowering will be observed with normal growth, which depends on how well the lilac is maintained. Planting and care (the photo shows all the beauty of your favorite plant), if carried out correctly, combined with love for the plant, will determine its continuous chic flowering and active growth.

Every autumn, the soil needs to be dug up to a depth of about 12 cm, carefully so as not to damage the roots of the plant. For the winter, the dug up soil should be left unleveled so that the weed seeds in it freeze out during the winter.

Lilac top dressing is done in early spring, as soon as the growth of shoots begins. A mineral complex is introduced under one bush, consisting of 20-30 grams of ammonium nitrate, 30 grams of superphosphate, 15-20 grams of potassium chloride; the depth of embedding in this case is 10-15 cm. It is recommended to fertilize with mineral fertilizers simultaneously with the introduction of mullein or slurry.

The second feeding is carried out during the formation of the kidneys with the same composition.

How to cut a lilac

Planting and care, pruning are important factors contributing to the quality growth of this crop. The purpose of pruning is to form a crown and maintain the shape of a bush, which causes abundant annual flowering.

In the first two years from the moment of planting, the growth of lilac is rather weak, therefore the nature of pruning is sanitary and thinning. In the third year, when the growth of the bush is activated, cardinal pruning is required. In early spring, it is necessary to choose about 10 strong shoots in the crown, giving the shrub a sprawling shape and as far as possible from each other. Subsequently, it is these branches that will become trunks; the rest of the shoots should be cut off. Small branches directed inward of the crown must be cut out completely, stronger ones directed outward should be shortened. If the lilac is cut in the fall, then next spring it will not bloom. Also, around the lilac bush, it is required to regularly remove basal shoots and rhizome offspring.

Lilac reproduction

Lilac propagation is carried out by root shoots, cuttings and grafting, used mainly for garden forms. For cuttings, it is required to take well leafy, semi-lignified shoots; in this case, leaf blades must be reduced by half. Make the lower cut oblique, under the internode, the upper one - above the leaf node. For rooting, the cuttings need to be planted in coarse sand, poured onto the nutrient soil of the greenhouse with a 3-5 cm layer. After planting and spraying the planted branches with water, the greenhouses must be covered with frames, providing the plants with diffused light and a temperature of + 25-30 degrees. As they take root, the cuttings are gradually accustomed to open air. The cuttings rooted in greenhouses are left for the winter, having previously covered them with foliage or spruce twigs. They can also be stored buried in the basement in winter. In the spring, land on the beds.

You need to cut it in the early morning, while removing most of the leaves from the branches, because they evaporate a lot of moisture. Cut lilacs from young bushes last longer than from old ones. The inflorescence should have at least 2/3 of the opened flowers, because the buds will not bloom in the cut. Before placing the bouquet in a vase, it is required to refresh the oblique cuts by making new ones under water. A tricky but effective trick: crush the ends of the shoots with a hammer. It is recommended to add 2-3 grams of acetic or citric acid to the water. A wilted bouquet can be refreshed by placing it in very hot water.

Plant diseases and pests

For those who want to acquire a chic, pleasant-smelling plant on their own site, it is worth knowing everything about this culture: what are behind such a plant as lilac, planting and care, its diseases, timing of pruning and watering regimen. Pests and diseases affect lilacs quite rarely. This is a lilac mining moth, the object of which is the leaves of the bush. After exposure to this insect, the lilac looks as if burned and practically does not bloom the next year. Such a pest should be fought by deep digging the soil under the bush in autumn and spring (in order to destroy the pupae that have settled in the soil), cutting and burning the affected shoots.

Also, lilac, planting and caring for which bring true lovers of beauty a lot of joy, is sometimes affected by bacterial necrosis; this happens at the beginning of August. The disease is transmitted by irrigation water, insects, planting material. The presence of this disease can be determined by the graying of the leaves and the browning of the shoots. In this case, the use of drugs aimed at pest control, removal and disposal of damaged parts of the plant, uprooting and burning of heavily affected bushes is required.