Non flowering Lilac

Hi all,
I have a lilac that puts on lots of foliage but hardly any flowers. I am lucky to get 5 or 6 off a plant that’s now 8 feet high and 3 feet wide.
Any tips to get more ? I don’t prune it or do much to it and looking around the area, the plants in others gardens are smothered in flower.

Any advice ?

Regards
G

 

How old is it Mr G.

 

About 10 years. Had more flowers in the past but never lots seems to be getting less and less.

 

Hmmm...I'm sorry I just don't know Mr G...I have a young one ...6 years old and mine isn't showing much effort either ,I've never pruned it so it's not like i've cut the following growth off so curious to know if anyone has any ideas.

 

Never could work out why anyone grows these.

 

No i dont really feed and what you say bares out as the plants in other front gardens are left completely alone and they look magnificent. I've read, too much nitrogen could do this but honestly, i dont really feed. Could the soil be "too good" ? By that i mean in the elements ? I dont like my soil, alkaline heavy clay and i wish i had better type but it might be heaven to this plant. Would a potash feed help ? That good for flowers ?

 

Because at that particular time of year they are amazing. Different colours from white to burgundy red, the scent is heaven and a must in a late spring garden IMHO.

 

Well, I see them around and most I see are about 10 ft high, flowering sparsely, never noticed the scent as they are too tall, and look pretty much like privet for the rest of the year.

I rest my case your honour

 

My two are 2 years old, about 2 feet high.....no flowers yet..

 

I have to agree with Pete on this. I do have a lilac tree in my garden for nostalgic reasons (Granny's garden) but it is not much of a performer and if I'd known how spasmodic the flowering was I wouldn't have planted it. Now it is here and hasn't done me any harm I'll leave it to do it's own thing and provoke some happy memories.

 

From my experience...

A good few years ago, I planted a short lilac hedge. For roughly five years, they did nothing. They didnt grow, didnt bloom, just looked healthy. So, they had to go...

Rather than just get rid of them, I planted them in an area behind the house. Which is where I usually put anything unwanted. Not only plants, but weeds from other borders that I dont want in the compost, sawdust, all kinds of things. If they grew, this would to hide a rather scruffy building that used to be there. If they didnt, then nothing lost.

Well, grow they did, and within a couple of years, they were up to maybe three metres tall, and had hidden the building. They even started to bloom, albeit sparsely.

Then, the building got demolished (illegally!) by the local council. When they did this, they cut the lilacs down to the ground. Twelve months later, they had started to grow again, so down to the ground I cut them!

That was about three years ago now. Since then, the only thing that I have done is cut away odd shoots. Enough to give me access to the outside of my back wall. That side, which faces west, blooms ok, but not spectacularly. This year though, the east side was spectacular! Much more than I would have expected.

Its probable that a lot would disagree, but my conclusions from this are as follows. First, in order for them to bloom and grow, then there has to be plenty organic material in the soil. Second, as regards pruning, it seems all or nothing is best. All, and they came back well. Just a little, and they dont seem to like it.

 

Gardening is often about memories, sparked by a view, a scent or a feel. Enjoy.

 

I don't grow normal lilac as I had a bad experience with it suckering all over the place in a previous garden. I do have Syringa pubescens microphylla (originally from N China) that doesn't sucker or get too big (2m) and flowers profusely, flower spikes are looser than the traditional lilac. Nicely scented and flowers in several flushes a year.