Lilac is a decorative shrub that is covered with gorgeous flowers with a unique aroma every spring. Due to the varied shade of inflorescences, the plant has been widely recognized by many flora lovers. Today in city parks and near residential buildings, you can see
standard lilac - a spectacular and unusual tree, suitable for self-cultivation in the garden.
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Description of the plant and its advantages
The lilac on the stem is a compact plantation with a height of not more than 2.5 meters. Outwardly, it looks very attractive - on a straight, gray-brown trunk there is a magnificent spherical crown, consisting of dark green leaves. Lilac blooms in large and beautiful inflorescences, which, depending on its variety, can have a variety of colors: white, purple, burgundy blue or pink.
The tree is quite hardy, but grows best in loamy soil. An acidic and too humid environment is not suitable for it, so you can not plant a plant in those places where groundwater flows.
In the garden, the lilac has not only a decorative function, it is also able to retain dust, making the air much cleaner, which positively affects people's health.
It is much more convenient to take care of a flowering tree than a bush plant. In the standard form, unnecessary shoots will not appear, which will have to be deleted indefinitely. In addition, other types of lilacs can be planted on it, in order to subsequently enjoy colorful buds for a long time.
Popular varieties of standard lilac
Ornamental trees vary in height, color of inflorescences and growth rates.
The most common varieties include such stands:
- The beauty of Moscow. A very beautiful plant, with large, terry buds of light pink color. Fragrant flowers, resembling roses in their shape, are collected in large and elegant inflorescences. Abundant flowering lasts from late April to early June. The bush on the stem is voluminous, durable, with dense, bright green foliage.
- Meyer. A low, slowly growing tree. It differs in the main flowering in May and repeated, which lasts from June to the end of September. Maroon-pink inflorescences have a conical shape and exude a sweet aroma. The plant looks spectacular in group plantings.
- Sensation. Planting height from 2 to 2.5 meters, with a crown diameter of about 150 cm. It grows rather slowly, 35-40 cm per year. The buds consist of bright purple flowers with a white border around the edges and look very elegant and original.
- Miss Canada. The length of the stem is 2.5 meters, the width of the leafy part is 200 cm. The variety is fast-growing, winter-hardy and resistant to pests. In mid-spring, bright pink inflorescences appear on the tree, which within 2 months delight with their beauty.
- The sky of Moscow. The tree grows to 2.7 meters and has a round crown with dark green leaves. Lilac blooms very abundantly, during this period the buds are able to change their shade. When the flowers just begin to bloom, they look dark lilac, and by the end of flowering acquire a purple color.
- Madame Lemoine. A fairly well-known sort of lilac on the stem. Its height is from 3 to 3.5 meters. The branches in the upper part of the plant are formed in the form of a spreading bush, about 2 meters wide. The leaves have a light green hue, and lush inflorescences are painted white.
- General Pershing. Tree up to 3.5 meters high. Terry flowers, large, with a pink-purple color. The plant blooms in late spring. The variety is unpretentious, resistant to temperature extremes, therefore it is often used to decorate personal plots.
- Charles Jolie High stand with a crown diameter of about 4 meters. Long inflorescences have the shape of a pyramid and consist of double flowers of a purple hue. Flowering begins in late May or early June. Each year, lilac grows 25-30 cm in width and height.
- Accubifolia. The plant belongs to variegated varieties. Its crown consists of leaves with yellowish spots and light stripes. The buds have a light purple color with a blue tint and exude a unique aroma of lilac.
- Michelle Buchner. A low tree with long, large leaves. Terry flowers are quite large - about 2 cm in diameter. They have a peculiar color - bluish-pink with a white gray. Inflorescences can reach 27 cm in length.
- Ludwig Shpet. Multi-stemmed shrub with a dense and spherical crown. Reaches four meters in height and three meters in diameter. The flowers are large, crimson, with a purple hue. The inflorescences are cylindrical and exude a pleasant smell. Abundant flowering lasts from early May to mid-June.
- Rose de Moscow. The tree grows up to 2.5 meters and has a densely branched crown with wide and smooth leaves. The flowers have a terry structure and a delicious aroma. At the beginning of flowering, the buds are painted in purple, and towards its end they acquire a white-pink hue.
All standard varieties tolerate frosty winters, are resistant to drought and grow well in urban conditions, and with proper care they can live from 80 to 100 years.
Planting the standard lilac
To grow a healthy and flowering tree, you need to plant it on a site in a suitable place and provide proper care.
For the plant, the illuminated parts of the garden are suitable, where there is no strong wind. The soil must be fertile, moist and loose, without the presence of groundwater.
The best time for planting the standard lilac is the end of July or the beginning of August, then it will have time to adapt to new conditions before the onset of frost.It is necessary to plant a tree in the evening, preferably after rain.
You can grow lilac from the root shoots of a varietal bush or purchase a grafted seedling in a nursery. When buying it, you should carefully consider the root system - it must be branched, flexible and durable. It is desirable that the young tree was at least 2 years old, the trunk height was from 60 to 80 cm, and the diameter of the roots was about 25 cm. Such plants tolerate transplanting well and take root faster.
Plant lilac on the stem in this way:
- It is necessary to dig a hole, given that its size corresponds to the size of the root system. At the bottom, place drainage from clay fragments, rubble or small stones. Then pour a layer of humus mixed with peat.
- After that, put the seedling in the hole and cover it with earth. It should be borne in mind that the basal neck should be 3 cm above the ground.
- The soil around the base of the trunk should be slightly tamped and watered, then mulched with sawdust and covered with a dark-colored film.
When planting in groups, the distance between the stands should be at least 1 meter so that their roots, increasing in size, do not interfere with each other. It is recommended to separate the trees with slate fences, which must be buried in the soil before planting.
Outdoor Care
The culture is quite unpretentious, so it’s not difficult to take care of it. First of all, the plant needs proper watering. This should be done sparingly, since overmoistening can lead to rotting of the roots. In hot weather and during flowering, water the plant as the soil dries, and in the fall and winter, hydration should be limited to a minimum.
It is necessary to periodically loosen the earth around the trunk, to remove weeds and root shoots. It is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers and phosphorus fertilizers in spring to stimulate flowering. In the summer, feed the lilac with organic compounds. Better to do this closer to the fall, it will be enough 1 time, every 2 years.
In order for the standard tree to maintain its shape, it is necessary to form a crown in a timely manner, getting rid of old branches, unnecessary shoots and side buds on the trunk. Pruning in early spring 1-2 years after planting.
The first 3 years around the young plant almost no root shoots appear. When it appears, remove the sprouts from the pruner, then the tree will not lose its decorative effect, and will always look neat.
Pruning lilacs after flowering
The necessary stage of caring for the standard lilac is pruning after flowering, otherwise the shoots that are under the drying inflorescences will weaken and grow poorly.
So that next year there will be many new buds, you should cut off the brushes with blossoming flowers, leaving about 40% of inflorescences on the tree. After flowering, remove all wilted lilacs with garden scissors.
Important! Branches can not be broken off with your hands, or cut too many of them. This can negatively affect the development and lead to the death of the tree.
Plant propagation methods
Stacked forms of lilac can be obtained by the vegetative method.
There are three ways to grow ornamental plantings:
- From underground shoots. The simplest option, with the help of which a new plant inherits all varietal signs of maternal lilacs. At the end of summer, among the root shoots of bush lilacs, one must choose the strongest, with a height of about 1.5 meters. It must be removed from the ground by cutting the roots so that their diameter is 20-25 cm. Plant in a permanent place and grow in the form of a tree.
- Vaccinated. With the onset of spring, you can plant a lilac stalk of any variety on the stock. To do this, remove all buds from the stem used, leaving a few pieces to form shoots, which will be needed for subsequent vaccinations.Then make an incision on the rootstock branch, then attach the prepared shoot to it and wrap the place of grafting with antiseptic tissue. The procedure requires certain knowledge and skills, so it is better to entrust it to an experienced gardener.
- Layering. In March-April, press the lilac branches to the ground, top them down with soil and fix them with a wooden bracket. After this, periodically add soil to the growing place and regularly moisten it. This method is considered to be long-lasting, since the root system of a new plant becomes sufficiently developed only 3-4 years after its appearance.
Grafted or planted plantations require frequent attention: watering, loosening, mulching. If you pay enough attention to them and follow all the rules for care, you can eventually fill your garden with blooming fragrant lilacs.
Use in landscape design
The lilac on the stem looks elegant, so it is often used in group plantings when decorating park alleys and squares near municipal buildings.
Flowering trees look great in small gardens of private houses. The plant looks great in single plantings and in combination with ornamental shrubs of another species.
Stack lilac is perfect for creating hedges, landscaping urban gardens, decorating benches and paths.
