Pruning Lilac

[Garden Manager]

Does anyone know a good way to prune lilac so that the flowers are produces lower down on the plant?

Mine has flowered for the first time thia year but the flowers are so high I cant enjoy them properly.  It would be nice to persuade it to flower lower.
I am assuming it isnt just a case of cutting the plant down, i guess al that will do is just promote leafy growth.

Any advice please

[Garden Manager]

[flowerlady]

I have had to deal with a very overgrown lilac, that flowered up in the gods somewhere!! ::)

In the end we decided on a two stage process ...

Last year after flowering, we cut back half, and this year the new shoots that have come back as a result of the chop are much lower, very healthy, but will flower next year!

This year the rest of the high canopy will go!  At least that way it will all flower in our garden eventually  ;D

[Garden Manager]

So, if I cut mine back to just below where i want it to flower this year then it will flower lower? Will that be 2007 or 2008 that i get some more flowers?

[Rosa_Mundi]

It depends a bit which type you have. I had a similar problem and tried cutting back - it refused to flower properly until it had reached its previous height again.  >:( >:(Eventually I gave up and binned it

[saddad]

Try flower lady's advice and if that doesn't work dynamite it out of the ground!
;D

[flowerlady]

;D

Try flower lady's advice and if that doesn't work dynamite it out of the ground!
;D

this years shoots I expect to flower next year, especially if I cut out the rest of the canopy :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I hacked mine right back a few years ago when I wanted to clear a mound of soil and rubbish underneath it, which had suckers growing right up through it. It took a couple of years before I got a decent display again, but they soon come back.

[Garden Manager]

I think its partly my fault its grown so tall before flowering. I was all too happy yo let it grow up and up, I didnt expect to have flowers right on the top and nowhere else.

The fact that its growing behind a big buddleia might have something to do with it as well!  ::)

[Robert_Brenchley]

it flowers on the new growth, and if that's all high up that's where the flowers will be. You need to encourage it to bush out if you want flowers lower down.