Among ornamental shrubs, lilac has long been considered a favorite decoration of gardens. Even in the front gardens of our grandmothers this beautiful and fragrant bush blossomed in the spring. In order for the plant to actively develop and delight in its appearance, you should know how to plant the lilac correctly. To do this, you must adhere to certain rules, which will result in an excellent result.
Choosing and preparing a place for planting lilacs
This point is especially important, because much depends on the environment. What does lilac love?
- Well-drained soil.
- Fertile soil with a neutral reaction.
- Moderate watering, not excess moisture.
- Adequate lighting throughout the day.
- Cold wind protection.
In the absence of such conditions in the garden, they should be prepared. If the soil is heavy clay, add sand to it, dig it well and mix it. Add humus or compost, complex fertilizers. To reduce acidity, lime, dolomite or chalk is used to make soil.
In dry times, irrigation is carried out under the root of the bush. Planted in a place where there are no tall plantations nearby that will obscure the lilac bushes. It is good to arrange a hedge of hedges along the boundaries of the site. In this case, the sides from which cold winds blow should be excluded.
Wetlands should be avoided, under such conditions the lilac will not grow, the roots will quickly decay and the plant will die.
The best time for planting shrubs in spring
If you decide to plant lilacs in the spring, you should not postpone this process until later. It is better to do this in early April, when the bush is still in a dormant state. In order for the bush to take root easily, it should be planted before buds open. Planted on a cloudy day or evening.
How to choose planting material
For propagation, use cuttings, layering or overgrowth of bushes.The best material would be a seedling grown from a shank that is taken from the top of the shoots of an adult plant. From a shoot or layering, seedlings take root longer and bloom later.
For planting, seedlings with the following characteristics are better:
- Developed root system. They should be light, elastic. The diameter of the root lobe is approximately 30 cm.
- Seedling height not more than 60 cm or slightly less.
- The number of skeletal branches is from 3 to 5 pieces.
The appearance of the plant should be healthy, without any damage and broken branches.
What can lilac be planted with
Like any plant, lilac has its own preferences. The bush is unpretentious, but for growth it needs a place. If you plant nearby undersized shrubs, then you should still do it at some distance.
Ornamental shrubs are planted next to lilacs. For a bright composition, Japanese spirea, various types of barberry, yellow acacia, almonds are suitable. The silver sucker and willow growing near will create an elegant strict flower garden.
Chubushnik next will extend the flowering period of the hedge. Good neighbors are perennial and annual flowers: phlox, asters, zinnias. Ground-cover periwinkles, primroses, survivors will decorate a lawn around a bush.
Lilac planting scheme for beginner gardeners
Planting lilac involves the following actions:
- Branches and leaves are cut off from the seedling, leaving a few leaves.
- Remove damaged roots, cut the remaining up to 25 cm. Save an earthen lump for better survival.
- Leave no more than three flower buds, the rest are removed. This technique ensures uniform development of the roots and the aerial parts of the plant.
- For better rooting of the seedling, the roots are treated with zircon or pennant.
Depending on the size of the future bush, choose the distance between them and the number of copies in a row. Tall and spreading species are planted in solitary bushes, 2.5-3 m away from the neighboring ones. By placing small bushes along paths and alleys, they maintain a distance of 1.5 m between them, no more than 5 seedlings are planted in a row.
If you need to make a hedge of lilac, the bushes are planted through a meter. It should be remembered that dense plantings will not give abundant flowering.
When planting, you should correctly select the depth of the root neck. If the plant has an independent root system, it is buried. This leads to good root formation.
If the plant is obtained by plant grafting on a stock, the root neck is placed 3 cm above the soil. This is done to exclude the formation of non-cultivated shoots.
Shrub care after planting
After wintering, young lilac seedlings must be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Such top dressing will help the shrub to develop well and bloom profusely.
A young plant needs enough water. In dry summer he will need watering. After reaching the age of two years, lilacs form deep roots, which themselves provide the plants with moisture.
Four years after planting, you can fertilize lilac organics. Mullein is bred in a proportion of 1:10 with water, and a solution of 20 l is poured under the bush.
In young bushes, pruning and shaping of the shape of the crown is done. In the future, only old branches are cut out, dried flowers are removed.
Young lilac bushes are covered for the winter with non-woven material, spruce paws, fallen leaves. The roots are mulching. Mature trees do not require shelter.
How to propagate lilacs
There are several ways to propagate this crop:
- With the use of cuttings.
- Sowing seeds.
- Using root shoots.
- Root layering.
Cuttings
Lilacs from sprigs can be grown using it as a stalk. This is done in the spring immediately after flowering. Choose a shoot that develops next to the flower brush, where there should be 4-6 leaves. Cut a stalk 15 cm long, having three pairs of kidneys. The lower oblique section is done under the lower kidneys.
The two lower sheets are removed, the rest are cut in half. The top of the cuttings is cut without bias. The shoots thus obtained are placed in root or other stimulant for several hours.
In the suburban area, a garden is arranged for rooting cuttings. The soil must be drained and fertile. The bed is not placed in a sunny place. The soil is well shed with water.
Plants are planted in a row at a distance of 10 cm above the plantings, arrange the frame and cover it with a film. In the future, produce a weekly watering and airing the greenhouse. After a month and a half, roots should form, and the shelter is removed. Subsequently, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture.
Sowing seeds
Seeds are harvested after leaf fall before frost. Dry and store until spring. In March, they begin to sow. Pre-treatment for diseases, soaked in growth stimulants. Sown to a depth of several cm in moist soil. Containers with seeds are covered with a film, create a mini greenhouse for growth.
Varietal seeds germinate after two months, for ordinary two weeks is enough. The grown seedlings are dived into separate containers and further grown, as usual seedlings. In spring, when real leaves are formed, seedlings are transplanted into the ground.
Root shoot
The method is simple and natural, while the seedlings retain all the signs of the mother plant. Reproduction is carried out in the fall in September and October. Carefully chop the root that binds to the main bush at a distance of 20 cm from it. Dig a shoot and transplanted to a permanent place.
Root layering
There are several options for this method. This is a normal lead, vertical and horizontal layering.
For reproduction, one-year branches are used, dug up and attached to the ground. Within 4 years, you need to monitor the layer, moisten it, sprinkle with earth. During this time, the plant’s own root system is formed, then the connecting branch is cut down and a seedling is dug up.
With the horizontal method of obtaining layering, several branches are laid in furrows near the bush and pinched in several places. As a result, several additional plants are formed.
The vertical way to get layering is quite complex and lengthy. It deserves a separate description.
In Russia you will not find a garden wherever lilacs grow. From simple bushes that grow in forests to varietal plants, they all delight with their fragrant beautiful flowers. This shrub will help create a unique flavor on the site, without making much effort.
