Q&A for How to Grow Lilacs

Lilacs grow best in full sun. They will likely not receive enough sun indoors.

A lilac needs full sun. Plant it in a location that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.

There are many types of lilacs. Most should reach full maturity at about 2-3 years old.

Find out what species and variety of lilac you have to see how large your lilac will get. Planting lilacs in a pot is fine, but the shrubs can become quite tall and wide, quickly outgrowing their pot. Sharing a pot is only appropriate if you have an extremely large pot designed for multiple small shrubs.

Make sure your lilac is getting at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Keep your lilac regularly watered during hot summer months, and water a couple times a week. Fertilize your lilac with a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as a fish and seaweed emulsion (10-10-10) in the spring. Apply compost around the base of the lilac bush yearly in the spring to provide nutrients to the soil.

It is normal for it to take quite a while to grow. Sometimes, flowers won't grow for a few years.

Leaving the dry flowers stunts the plant's growth, though birds would prefer that we left the dead flowers to produce seed.

Most lilacs require over 2000 chilling hours of a minimum of 45 degrees, with a 35 to 45 degree range. That is why they do so well in the North. There are some varieties that require less time. I'd ask your local nurseries if there are any varieties suitable for North Florida. Most likely, they will not be of the classic Syringa vulgaris or Syringa hyacinthiflora types or scents found in the North. Some cutleaf varieties will grow in parts of Georgia, but they have smaller flowers with more of a privet than a lilac scent.

Just cut all the dead branches and dead blooms off properly. No need to cover with any type of barrier from the weather such as burlap sacks, plastic, etc. Treat it like a tree, not a bush or plant.

They can tolerate light to moderate frosts. High temperatures are more likely to damage the blooms.

Yes. Start them off in a pot and transplant them to the ground when they are about a foot tall.

I would not recommend transplanting it at that height. I would prune it down, properly, closer to 2-3 ft. in height. To prune it properly, it may take 2 yrs of pruning it down to transplant. Talk to your local nursery about proper pruning in your zone.

It depends upon the plant. Some can live with only the tap root; others cannot. You just have to wait and see.

No. You need to plant a root ball. This is basically part of the heart of a lilac bush. Go to your local nursery to get the correct type of lilac for your area. Mail-ordering one is a 50/50 shot because there are different types of lilacs for different zones.

I would use compost and/or balanced fertilizer. Do not use any type of liquids. The roots are exposed and any liquids can "overdose" them.

It can be a variety of things, including not enough water or sunlight and/or a type of caterpillar. Talk to your local nursery and bring in a few leaves in a zip lock sandwich bag. Try to remove as much air as possible from the bag. DO NOT bring the leaves to the nursery loose or not sealed in a clear bag.

There may be a chance it will come up in spring. Cut the long stem back to a foot or a little taller (include a bud) and just wait.

You can do it. Use root hormone and put it in the pot. Keep it in shade.

Probably not. It is preferable to trim them when they do not have any live blooms. Late fall, winter, or early spring. If the plant did have some blooms, and depending on how far back you prune it, expect fewer blooms for the upcoming season.

Wait. Old fashioned lilacs may take several years to mature to blooming size. (My grandmother always said 7 years, but I find that usually they bloom in 4-5 years.) Another problem may be frost damage. While lilacs require cold weather to set blooms, warm periods during winter may cause them to break dormancy and set buds. If there is subsequently a hard cold snap, the buds may be damaged.