How to rejuvenate Syringa

Lilacs can get very old

First of all: As a member of the olive family, lilacs can get very old. In many cottage gardens there are lilac trees that were planted there several decades or even centuries ago - and still bloom every year. The oldest lilacs still alive today probably date from the 16th century. / 17. Century. Now your lilac does not necessarily have to be as old, but with the right conditions it has the best chance of it:

• Plant it in a sunny, warm and airy spot.
• The soil should be loose, well-drained, calcareous and moderately rich in nutrients.
• Leave plenty of space for the shrub - lilacs can get very large with age.
• Take care of him. This includes u. a. regular fertilization if necessary.
• Regular pruning also keeps the tree young.

While you can radically prune back a very old, bald lilac, you should take this measure However, consider carefully: With a little bad luck, the tree cannot cope with the pruning and dies because of the Weakening. In addition, it can happen to you that after the radical cut, hundreds of root runners suddenly sprout out of the ground - within a radius of several meters.

Rejuvenate old lilacs - that's how it works

Instead, you should tackle the rejuvenation in several stages and prune the lilacs systematically. Pruning is always done immediately after flowering, larger pruning measures should, if possible, be carried out on a frost-free day in January / February. In a first step cut All of the faded inflorescences are gone. Then remove all branches that

• are dried up
• are only lightly leafed
• are very long and seem powerless
• criss-cross or grow inward
• are kinked

You carry out this cut every year and in this way achieve a rejuvenated, more vital lilac without a radical cut.