A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Lilacs

I'm going to chop my lilacs down to about four feet when they quit blooming. Any suggestions?

Yes, mail me the cuttings so I can have lilacs !
Just kidding, they wouldn't root. But oh, what luxury, that you have so much lilac that you need to prune !!!
We have only Korean lilac here, and it doesn't smell very nice. Rather like Play Doh and a faint lilac-y undertone.

Since you don't have them this is going to seem mean, but not meant that way.

The silly things are about 12 feet tall.

Wow......... 12 feet tall..... I can hardly imagine such a thing. When in bloom they must be paradise !
Real lilacs won't grow here. Because they need the dormancy in winter.
What's winter?

I got some pictures in the photobucket program, now I just need to figure out how to get them in here.

oh i do miss lilacs so much! The only thing i truly miss! Besides my family of course... we had a farm and had lilacs around every field and you could lay in bed with your window open in the morning and just inhale the lovely scents!

Hi -Just curious what your goal is in chopping them down? What type of lilacs are they?
Sandy

slredmond,
They are way too big, and the white ones are taking over all the space from the double french purple. Most of the purple ones are too high to reach.

See if you can look at the lilacs.

http://s74/photobucket/i279/jorgie74/garden

To post a photobucket photo here, go under the photo to the line that starts with [IMG] copy that whole line and paste it here.

Ok, if I did this right this should be the white lilacs.

Thanks, Wrennie!!!!

my neighbor's lilac is just about 12 feet tall...

from what i understand, you're supposed to prune them back every year - not all the way to the ground, but you can safely take off 4 or 5 feet and not damage anything or affect blooming.

Ah - understood. Looks like they are a little crowded for space. I have about 20 lilacs at our "new" old house. The majority are probably 100 years old, and 15 plus feet tall - huge. Yesterday we fired up the chainsaw and spent a couple of hours trimming out dead wood so they'll flower better next year with more light and better circulation. They probably hadn't been tended to in 20 years. I'd suggest you randomly trim out a few of the oldest, being careful to watch the shape so it doesn't look too "groomed." You'll probably end up with a wider bush than taller, unless you take off some from the width. I'll try to get some pictures.

Jorgie

Jorge,
I sent you a PM...

And gosh yes, those are gorgeoussssssss lilacs..
They are beautiful!!!

These are the French Purple ones that are being crowded ou by the white.

Thanks for the info, Wrennie!!

Can you resize them, Jorge...
Please...
Thanks a bunch...


They really are beautiful.
*I Love the darker colored one's*

Weezie, I tried going down to 25%, any idea what I am doing wrong?

Jorgie

Let me ask Cindy,
She's alot more firmilar with doing them
thru the photobucket place..
I have a program at home I do it called IVIEW,
but she can definately walk you thru it,
let me PM her!!!

Jorgie...your lilacs are beautiful!
I would LOVE to have thoses!

As far as the picture re-sizing in Photobucket...I have never used Photobucket to re-size my pics. I use a photo program like Weezie does. I guess I need to try the Photobucket re-sizing, just to see how it works. That's how most here re-size their pics.

Did you click the "update" button after you re-sized them?

On the page before *page #1*,
Wrennie, posted on how to resize them,
there's a 25%, 50%, etc, I guess. and
try it that way?????

I guess I better go look too...

I love my IVIEW program, and I am terrible computer illiterate...that other one I use
it incredible user friendly..

This is the neighbor's lilacs across the alley.

I did try the 25% and then the update, but the picture is still huge. I better get it right soon, I only have one more picture.

Thanks for be so patient with me.

Jorgie

No problem, Jorgie.
I just tried the Photobucket resizing and it worked for me.
That's the first time I've ever tried it. I like to never found the "edit" button, which is located right above the picture!

I'll resize the picture above for you if you'd like me to...
...or leave it for a few minutes so you can try to re-size it in Photobucket.

Glad to be patient...

And to be able to load and seeeeeeeeee those
beautiful pictures is the bonus...

Keep tryin' and don't give up!!!!