Fertilize lilacs: tips on when and how to proceed

In order to benefit from the beautiful flowers of the lilac, proper care is necessary. You can find out when, how and with what to fertilize lilacs here.

Numerous varieties of lilac (Syringa), mostly of common lilac (Syringa vulgaris-hybrid), from mid-May to June, exude beautiful colors and a typical heavy floral fragrance in many gardens. A mature lilac does not necessarily have to be fertilized, because lilacs are very easy to care for. But so that the flowers form particularly numerous and the early summer garden colorful moths attracts, the plants, which sometimes get very old, need a phosphorus-rich fertilization and of course Love.

Nothing beats a balanced supply of nutrients from trustworthy sources to keep your lilacs flowering in the same location for years to be fresh and youthful. Your lilac should be fertilized regularly. But which fertilizer is the right one for lilacs? And when do you have to fertilize your lilacs so that they bloom particularly well?

The right time to fertilize lilacs

Right from the planting stage, the right care is essential for a good start to the day or, in the case of lilacs, for successful rooting. Mix a good amount of mature compost or an organic long-term fertilizer like ours into the excavation of the planting hole Plantura organic flower fertilizer. The following applies to established plants: In order to strengthen the future foliage of the garden season and to promote flowering in the following year, fertilizer is applied in spring, just before budding. If you rely on an organic fertilizer, the nutrients are released slowly and should be available in good doses all year round. With nutrient-poor soil and a lilac that has already gained a foothold in one location for several years, you can fertilize again in June.

Summary: when to fertilize lilacs?

• When planting, mix compost or organic slow-release fertilizer into the planting hole
• Fertilize existing plants in spring just before they sprout
• In nutrient-poor soils, fertilizer should be added again in June

Fertilizing lilacs: the right fertilizer and the right approach

With the right amount of fertilizer, your flowering shrub will live up to its name. Make sure you use a fertilizer that is not too nitrogenous, as this would promote sprouting too much. This may sound counterintuitive at first, but this way your lilacs will have more energy for flowering next year. However, the fertilizer should contain a high proportion of potassium for increased frost tolerance and phosphorus, which promotes flowering. Using an organic fertilizer provides you with a slow and gentle nutrient release. In comparison to mineral variants, the plant does not show signs of over-fertilization as often. Due to the slow release, soil life is also promoted and less fertilizer is washed out of the soil, which then gets into the groundwater. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer offers you all these advantages in organic quality without the use of animal products.

Fertilize lilacs organically

In order for you to know that your lilacs are well cared for and last for a long time, the pretty shrub also needs enough nutrients. Organic fertilizers provide your lilacs with the right nutrients over the long term with minimal impact on the environment. This is because these fertilizers are produced using fewer resources and end up in the groundwater to a lesser extent. Unlike mineral variants, the nutrients are stored in the soil in complex form. In this way, the fertilizer components are gently released into the root environment by the natural soil life. However, there are also alternatives to buying in a shop.

Tip from the pro: With the exception of the Preston lilac, all lilacs are lime tolerant and do well in a soil pH between 5.5 and 7. If your soil is more acidic than 5.5, you should provide the plant with a calcareous fertilizer.

Long-term organic fertilization: instructions and dosage amounts for lilacs

With organic fertilizer variants, with the right dosage, you don't need to have a guilty conscience if you use the purchased variant. Especially when these – like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer with organic long-term effect - can still score with organic quality. An important keyword, however, is the correct dosage. As with other flowering plants, lilacs not only need the right ratio of nutrients and minerals, but also the right amount. Therefore we have below a small guide for the correct application of our Plantura organic flower fertilizer:

1. Before planting 100 - 150 g/m² (well filled 0.2 liter glass) of ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer work into the top layer of soil
2. Pour the soil and freshly planted lilacs well so that the granules can dissolve well
3. For maintenance fertilization in spring, you should fertilize another 80 - 120 g/m² (0.2 liter jar) per plant

Fertilize lilac minerally

Mineral fertilizers like blue grain and conventional liquid fertilizer are sometimes suitable for lilacs that are cultivated in pots. If it is not repotted in new substrate every two years, it should be fertilized every two weeks from April to September with flowering plant fertilizer in the irrigation water. In pot culture as well as in beds, mineral fertilizers should be dosed rather low (if at all). Here you should not only pay meticulous attention to the dosage information for the well-being of your lilac, but also to only minimally interfere with nature. Otherwise, you prefer to use the organic variant. Here the risk of over-fertilization is lower and fewer fertilizer components are washed into the groundwater.

Fertilize lilacs with home remedies

Even good old household remedies manage to take care of your lilacs year after year and blossom after blossom. For example, make a broth of nettles or field horsetail and water your lilacs with it. You can earth too Coffee grounds for fertilization, or mix in the chopped banana peels. However, when using coffee grounds there is a risk that the soil will become acidic. This is critical for lime-tolerant plants such as lilacs. But there is also an alternative from the kitchen waste for the lilac's love of lime. Simply mix crushed eggshells into the soil. This is not only recommended when fertilizing with coffee grounds, but also when you water with soft rainwater.

In order for your lilacs to keep their beautiful shape, they should be trimmed regularly. When and how to cut lilac should, you will find out in this article.