Planting and caring for lilacs in open ground, popular varieties and applications

In spring, lilac bushes become one of the most beautiful plants. Their lush, cluster-like inflorescences exude a delicate bitter aroma throughout the entire area. Many summer residents admire lilacs, and planting and caring for them in the open ground is not difficult. The plant is completely unpretentious, resistant to negative factors, and therefore is suitable for those gardeners who come to their garden plots infrequently.

Description of the plant

Lilac belongs to the Maslinov family. Includes more than 30 shrub species, the natural range of which covers almost all of Eurasia. The most common type is common lilac (Syringa vulgaris). It is most often found in green areas of cities and parks. Under natural conditions, the shrub's habitat covers the Balkan and Carpathian territories and the mouth of the Danube.

In nature, lilac prefers to grow on drained soils; it chooses river valleys and mountainous areas for growth. Under acceptable conditions, the plant can live up to 80-100 years, but the usual life expectancy of the shrub is 20-50 years. When cultivated, lilac is considered one of the most unpretentious shrubs. The plant is frost-resistant, requires virtually no care, blooms seasonally and profusely, and is highly decorative. Therefore, lilac is not inferior to jasmine in popularity.

Biological characteristics

Lilac is a dicotyledonous flowering plant belonging to the Lactaceae family. This is a large shrub with several trunks reaching a height of 2-4 m, in some varieties up to 8 m. The plant is deciduous, which is due to the climatic conditions of the growing area.

How resistant a plant is to negative temperatures depends on the variety. Some varieties of lilac can withstand down to -15°C, others are more frost-resistant, surviving at -30°C.

Lilac blooms from April to July. The aromatic properties of lilac flowers are due to the content of essential oils.And the bark of the plant contains syringin, a glucoside that is promising for use for medical purposes and has an immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory effect. Lilac bark and leaves are toxic if consumed internally.

Lilac propagates by seeds and suckers extending from the surface roots. This feature of reproduction in certain cases places lilac in the category of weeds, since the offspring of the bush are capable of filling a significant area in a short period of time. Therefore, during cultural cultivation it is so important to control the growth of the bush.

Crown features

Lilac is a spreading, tall shrub. While the plant is young, the trunks are directed almost vertically. As the shrub matures, the outer trunks bend, the crown takes on a spherical or conical shape, or even disintegrates and becomes shapeless. The crown is not characterized by density; the shrub looks light and graceful. Some hybrid varieties of lilac have “weeping” outlines, their shoots bend downwards.

Lilac trunks, despite their elegant appearance, are quite thick. Old shrub trunks reach 20 cm in diameter, their bark is rough, grayish-brown, covered with many small cracks. The lentils are clearly visible on the bark. On young shoots, the bark is thin, smooth, grayish-green or yellowish-green.

At the end of the shoot you can see one or two buds. They are large, with a sharp end and 4 edges, olive, reddish-green or brick-brown in color, and are 8-12 mm in length. The appearance of the side buds is almost the same, only the size is slightly smaller. The arrangement of scales on the kidneys is cross-shaped. Flower buds form on last year's shoots of shrubs.

Leaves

Lilac is one of the earliest spring shrubs.Leaf buds bloom as soon as the snow melts. And leaf fall begins in late autumn. The last leaves of the lilac fall almost before the arrival of frost.

The leaf blades reach a length of 10-12 cm, colored light green or rich green. They are usually entire, but in some varieties of lilac they have separate feathery edges. The variety also determines the shape of the foliage: it can be oval with a rounded or sharp tip, or ovoid. The arrangement of foliage is cross-pairwise, two leaves are formed at each node.

What flowers look like

The color of the flowers can be very different: most often light purple, also white, dark purple, lilac, pink, dark pink, blue, purple, burgundy. Some rare varieties are distinguished by 2-color petals.

The flowers are united in paniculate loose inflorescences, which reach a length of 20 cm. A lilac flower consists of a shortened 4-petal bell-shaped calyx, 2 stamens, and a long tubular corolla. The fruits of the shrub are two-leaf capsules, inside which winged seeds ripen.

Popular varieties

There are several genera of cultivated lilac, which, in turn, number over 2000 varieties, including hybrid ones. Breeders have managed to develop a variety of varieties not only in appearance, but also in resistance to weather factors and diseases. Small-leaved varieties with long-lasting, late or repeated flowering, double-leaved, dwarf varieties for pot growing, with an intense aroma have been developed. But, no matter what varieties are bred, the culture is characterized by endurance and unpretentiousness.

Let's look at the most interesting and popular varieties of lilac.

Ordinary

This is the most common genus of lilac, associated with ancient overgrown parks and gardens, spreading throughout the world from the mountainous areas of the Balkan Peninsula. These are large, spreading shrubs, the average height of which is 5 m. The leaf blades are rich green, oval, their surface is smooth on both sides. The flowers are lilac, delicately scented, collected in paniculate inflorescences 12-15 cm long. Flowering occurs in mid-April and continues throughout May and June.

Of the most notable varieties of ordinary lilac, one should name Beauty of Moscow, Sensation, Capitaine Baltet, Madame Lemoine.

Hungarian

This small-leaved variety is found naturally on the Balkan Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Carpathian Mountains. How a cultivated plant is grown from the middle XIX century.

The shrub is distinguished by straight, branching shoots directed upwards. The height of the plant varies from 4 to 7 m. The leaves are small, rich green, have a beautiful shape of a wide ellipse, and are 6-8 cm in length. The surface of the leaf plates is glossy, with a bluish tint in the lower part. Large leaf veins are covered with fluff. Lilac flowers are tightly connected into narrow straight panicles 20 cm long. Hungarian lilac varieties bloom in June.

Japanese (mesh)

This large plant, capable of stretching up to 15-25 m, is also called Japanese cod.Under natural conditions it grows in the northern part of the Japanese Islands. This variety of lilac began to be grown as an ornamental crop in the second half of the 19th century. Flowering occurs at the end of June. Snow-white or cream inflorescences look like loose panicles formed from lateral buds, attracting bees.

Pinnately

This is a rare variety of shrubs that grow up to 3 m. Cirrus lilac varieties bloom from early April to late June. The decorative feature of the shrub is the feathery foliage of a rich green color. It contrasts beautifully with the lightly colored inflorescences.

Chinese

This hybrid lilac was developed by French breeders in the 18th century by crossing the common and Persian varieties. The shrub is popular for its compact size, optimal for front gardens and small garden plots. Most varieties have a small height - 1.5-2 m, although some stretch up to 5 m. The shoots are spreading. In the first growing seasons, the seedling must be regularly watered and fertilized.

The leaf blades of Chinese lilac are smooth, about 10 cm long, and ovoid in shape with a sharp tip. The flowers are pinkish-lilac, collected in wide, paniculate, loose inflorescences 10 cm long. Chinese varieties bloom from early April to late May.

Small-leaved

This is a compact shrub, not exceeding 1.5 m in height. The shoots are thin. The leaf blades are small and elliptical. The flowers are pink or deep pink. Flowering begins in May and continues abundantly until July, but individual inflorescences appear in small quantities until September.

For full growth and flowering, a variety of shrub needs fertile, moderately moist soil with a weak alkaline reaction. The growing location should be sunny, protected from strong winds.

Landing instructions

Lilac is an unusually hardy plant, resistant to adverse weather conditions, survives in summer heat and winter cold, feels great in the middle zone, the Urals, Siberia and other areas of the temperate climate zone. But the shrub acquires such resistance only after rooting and adaptation to growing conditions. And for a seedling to take root and take root, it needs to be planted correctly.

Lilacs are not just cold-resistant. If the winter is frosty, you can expect more luxuriant flowering of the shrub in the spring.

Lilacs look good in the garden when planted alone, in groups, or as a hedge. Shaping by trimming the crown is an optional procedure. The spreading, slightly disorderly crown of lilacs looks picturesque in its natural form, without trimming. And if you let the bush grow in a certain area of ​​the territory, you can form a real shady grove.Some gardeners grow dwarf varieties of lilac in floor pots on terraces.

Selecting a location

For lilacs, a sunny place is preferable. Although the plant is unpretentious and can fully grow in partial shade, the shrub still blooms more luxuriantly in bright sun. In order for lilacs to delight with abundant flowering, direct sunlight must fall on it for at least 6 hours a day.

Lilac can adapt to any soil conditions. But still, the shrub grows better and blooms more abundantly when the soil is:

• moderately humid;
• fertile, rich in organic matter;
• limestone;
• drained, permeable.

The last requirement is the most important. Lilacs can survive short-term dry soil and lack of nutrition. But excess soil moisture, stagnant moisture, and waterlogging are destructive for shrubs. To saturate the soil with organic matter, you should use compost. The recommended soil acidity is 5-7 pH units.

Due to its spreading nature and tendency to grow, lilacs need sufficient space around them. What radius to leave free around the seedling depends on its variety. But if we talk about ordinary lilac, then the distance between the bush and neighboring large plants should be at least 2 m. At the same distance, seedlings should be planted in a row when creating a hedge.

Timing

It is advisable to plant lilacs not in spring, but in late summer or early autumn. The optimal time for planting in open ground is from the second half of July to mid-September. It is not recommended to plant lilacs in spring or late autumn, since in this case the bush will take a long time to take root and adapt. It will barely grow for an entire season.

To count on quick establishment of the plant, you should choose seedlings with developed, branched roots. The root system of the selected plant should be carefully examined for damaged, infected, and shriveled roots. Anything that looks sick or injured should be cut off. Healthy roots should be trimmed by 10-30 cm depending on their length.

Planting in open ground

Step-by-step instructions for planting a lilac seedling in open soil:

1. Determine the landing site. Dig a planting hole; its size should be twice as large as the volume of the root system of the seedling.
2. Pour a small amount of gravel and crushed stone into the hole. This will be the drainage layer.
3. On top of the drainage, throw a lump of peat or compost into the hole the size of a shovel blade.
4. Insert the seedling into the hole so that the beginning of the root system is flush with the soil surface.
5. Fill the hole around the roots with prepared fertile soil. Press down lightly.
6. Make a shallow notch around the bush trunks for easy watering.

Planted young lilacs should be watered generously in the first few weeks to help them take root faster. In the future, in the summer months, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the lilac with pine bark. Mulch helps maintain soil moisture and prevents the development of weeds.

Planting in a pot

Dwarf lilacs are suitable for growing in large pots, for example, varieties Flowerfesta White, Dark Purple, Red Pixie, Bloomerang Purple. Despite their compact size, these are still shrubs and trees, so the floor pot must be spacious. Its height must be at least 60 cm.

Instructions for planting dwarf lilacs in a pot:

1. Place a drainage expanded clay or pebble layer on the bottom.
2. Insert the lilac seedling into the pot so that the top edge of the root system is flush with the intended soil surface.
3. Cover the roots of the plant with fertile soil, leaving 2-3 cm to the edge of the pot for easy watering. Lightly compact the soil with your fingers.
4. Water the seedling generously for better rooting.

How to grow lilacs

Lilacs require virtually no care; the shrub grows well on its own without losing its decorative appearance, even if the gardener does not apply any care measures. But still, in order for the lilac to be healthier and live longer, you should take care of it using the simplest care.

Watering and fertilizing

In summer, if the weather is dry and hot, the bush should be watered as the surface soil layer dries out. At a time, you need to pour 2-3 large buckets of water under a medium-sized plant. It is recommended to continue watering in early autumn if the weather remains dry.

During the growing season, you need to loosen the soil surface around the bush 3-4 times to a depth of about 5 cm, simultaneously removing weeds.

For the first 2 seasons after planting, only nitrogen fertilizer is used to feed lilacs in smaller quantities than indicated in the instructions. From the third season, 70 g of ammonium nitrate or 50 g of urea should be applied annually to the plant, and organic fertilizer should also be used.The preferred organic material is mullein; it is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:5. Depending on its size, 10-30 liters are poured under one plant. You need to pour not under the very trunk of the lilac, but stepping back from it by 50-60 cm.

Once every 2-3 seasons, lilacs should be fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. For one plant, use 30-40 g of superphosphate or about 30 g of potassium nitrate. Granular fertilizer is dug into the soil around the bush to a depth of 5-8 cm, then the plant is watered abundantly.

Removing overgrowth

Root shoots should be removed in the spring, before sap flow and swelling of the buds begins. The procedure is carried out every season; it not only gives the bush a neat appearance, prevents it from growing, but also prevents the depletion of the mother bush.

In addition to the shoots, it is recommended to cut off the inflorescences as soon as they fade, preventing the formation of seed pods. This measure will stimulate budding next season. It also prevents the bush from expending energy on the formation of seed material.

Trimming

During 2 seasons, young lilacs should not be pruned, since during this period its main trunks are formed. Formative pruning should begin in the 3rd year and be carried out over 2-3 seasons. The procedure should be carried out in early spring, before sap flow begins.

To form a beautiful bush, you should choose 5-6 of the prettiest shoots, spaced approximately at an equal distance from each other.Everything else will have to be deleted. Next season we will have to cut off half of the flowering shoots of the lilac. One main trunk should have a maximum of 8 viable buds, the rest of the shoot should be removed so that the plant is not overloaded during the flowering period.

Sanitary pruning of lilacs is carried out simultaneously with shaping. It is necessary to cut off damaged, shriveled, frozen, infected shoots and those that are unsightly.

It is easy to turn a shrub into a tree. To do this, you need to choose the largest and strongest trunk, directed vertically. It must be shortened to standard height. Next, 5-7 skeletal branches are formed from the growing shoots. You will have to constantly remove the growth around the trunk. When the standard formation of lilacs is completed, all that remains is to thin out the crown annually.

Pest Control

Lilac is resistant to pests and infections, and even without the preventive use of insecticides and fungicides it practically does not get sick. Although the bush is not 100% immune from damage, so you should know how to deal with the main pests and diseases of lilac.

Infectious diseases characteristic of lilac:

1. Bacterial necrosis. Becomes noticeable at the end of summer. The lilac foliage turns gray, and the young branches, which should be olive green, darken and turn brown. To prevent necrosis, it is necessary to thin out the crown every season so that the internal parts of the bush are better ventilated. If the disease has already affected the lilac, it will spread quickly. In the end, the bush will have to be cut off and burned along with the uprooted roots.
2. Bacterial rot. The infection affects all parts of the plant, including buds and buds.The affected parts of the bush dry out, become deformed, and after a while the dead leaves fall off. At the first signs of damage, it is necessary to treat the lilac with copper oxychloride. The fungicidal treatment should be repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 10 days.
3. Powdery mildew. Signs of fungal infection are a soft gray or whitish coating that gradually turns brown and thickens. The affected parts of the bush will have to be cut off and burned. The remaining parts of the plant need to be sprayed with fungicide. Next season, at the beginning of spring, it is recommended to add bleach to the soil in an amount of 100 g/m3 when digging.²without affecting the surface roots.
4. Verticillium. When this fungus infects the foliage, it curls and red or brown spots appear on it. The crown becomes bare in a short time, and the leaves begin to fall from the top of the plant. Contact fungicides are used to treat lilacs. From folk remedies, you can use a solution of 100 g of sodium carbonate and the same amount of laundry soap per 15 liters of water for spraying.

Common lilac pests:

1. Khrushchev It attacks lilacs on warm May days, when the bush is in bloom. The beetles are large, they are clearly visible on the greenery of the bushes, so they are easy to collect by hand.
2. Lilac hawk moth. Large moth. Its large caterpillars, reaching a length of 10 cm, with a characteristic horn-like outgrowth at the end of the body, devour the foliage of many ornamental and berry bushes. To destroy the caterpillar, the insecticide phthalofos is recommended.
3. Lilac moth. The small butterfly breeds twice per season. Its small caterpillars are so voracious that they leave only veins of lilac leaves, and devour the buds and buds completely. The most toxic insecticides for the pest are Fozalon and Karbofos.
4. Leaf mite.Microscopic insects suck out plant juices and multiply so actively that they destroy large shrubs within half a month. As soon as the leaves begin to turn brown and dry, spray the lilac with copper sulfate. Prevention of plant damage by mites - thinning the crown, potassium-phosphorus fertilizing, autumn burning of fallen leaves.
5. Kidney mite. Feeds on kidney juices. Symptoms of the lesion are deformation of the buds, from which small and improperly developed leaves then grow. Young shoots look weak, budding is practically absent. The medicine for the plant is copper sulfate. For prevention, fallen leaves should be removed in a timely manner.
6. Mining moth. Symptoms of a bush being infested by a pest are brown spots on the leaves that gradually curl. The affected plant does not bloom and dies within a season or two. To kill moths, Bordeaux solution and the drug “Fitosporin” are used. For preventive purposes, it is necessary to promptly rake and burn fallen leaves, and in the spring, dig up the soil around the bush.

How to propagate a plant

Lilacs reproduce in the wild by seed. This method is also used by breeders who develop new varieties, and by nursery owners who sell seedlings. Summer residents propagate lilacs using vegetative methods: cuttings, layering and grafting. These methods are simpler. And shrubs obtained by cuttings or layering are more hardy, wake up faster after winter, and live longer.

Layerings

To propagate lilacs, a young shoot that has just begun to become lignified is used. Then proceed as follows:

1. Drag the selected shoot with copper wire in 2 places: near the soil surface and at a distance of about 80 cm. Try not to damage the bark.
2. Place the shoot in a pre-dug furrow 2 cm deep. Secure it with pins and lightly sprinkle with soil.
3. Wait for stems 15-18 cm high to grow on the cuttings. Add fertile soil, covering the shoots half their length.
4. During the growing season, water and weed the shoots. If necessary, add fertile soil.
5. In the fall, before frost, cut off the cuttings in places covered with wire.
6. Cut the cuttings so that each part has a shoot with roots.
7. Plant young plants in open ground. Be sure to insulate for the winter.

Cuttings

To propagate lilacs by cuttings, you can take young green cuttings, or you can take partially lignified ones. The first ones should be cut at the end of June or beginning of July, when the lilacs have finished blooming. The second - at the end of August or September. The pruning shears must first be disinfected.

Instructions for propagating lilacs by cuttings:

1. Take the selected cuttings. Leave a side branch of about 15 cm on each of them.
2. Trim leaves to reduce water consumption during rooting. Leave only 4 leaves on top.
3. Immerse the lower part of the cutting in any root growth stimulator.
4. Make a substrate from garden soil and sand. Fill a large container with it.
5. Having made a depression with your finger or a stick, insert the cutting into it so that it is buried half its length.
6. Water the cuttings generously. Cover the container with plastic.
7. Place the container in a shaded area outside. Lift the plastic film daily for ventilation for 10-15 minutes.
8. In late autumn, plant the rooted cuttings in pots with fertile soil.For the winter, move the young plants to a cool room.
9. With the onset of spring, dig the pots into the ground in your garden plot. Let the young plants develop like this for 2-3 seasons. Then plant the bushes in permanent places.

Offspring

Propagation of the plant by root suckers does not require any effort from the gardener. The lilac sends out shoots on its own. You just need to select a strong and viable shoot, wait for 5 seasons until it grows, then dig it up in late autumn, separating it from the mother root with the tip of a shovel, immediately transfer it to the chosen place, and water it abundantly.

Application

Lilac is a honey plant. Although the bees are not very willing to fly at him. The fact is that the corolla has a long tubular shape, and it is difficult for bees to penetrate it with their proboscis. Although a lot of nectar is produced in the flower. Bees are content with only pollen and a small amount of nectar from the shallow parts of the corolla.

Lilac wood is valued in furniture production. It is hard, straight-grained, difficult to split, and lends itself well to polishing. When cut from the trunk, the wood is reddish in the marginal part, light in the core, and has a red-brown core with dark veins. The density of lilac wood is 0.9-1% g/cm³ at humidity 12-15%.

Lilac flowers are used in pharmaceuticals for the production of diaphoretics, anesthetics, and anti-malaria drugs. The leaves become raw materials for anti-tuberculosis compounds. Flower infusion is effective for whooping cough. A paste of lilac leaves is placed on wounds and abscesses to speed up healing and draw out pus.

But the main purpose of lilac is to be used in landscape design and grown as an ornamental plant.Slopes prone to erosion can be planted with shrubs, then the lilac will perform not only a decorative, but also a soil-protective function.

In landscape design, lilacs are planted:

• in the front of groves, in front of taller trees and shrubs;
• in the form of different varieties groups;
• a separate bush among the lawn;
• in a row behind the curb;
• behind a flower bed as a background plant;
• in the form of a hedge.

A popular landscape design option is to combine lilacs with other ornamental shrubs that bloom at other times. This way the shrub composition will look beautiful throughout the growing season: one plant fades, another blooms. Forsythia, Japanese quince, rhododendron, aflatunia vyazolifolia, spirea, redroot, and scarlet can be good choices for combination with lilac.