Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Pruning Lilacs, 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
I would prune every fall or spring to limit the number of live trunks to something divisible by 3 - probably 9 or 12 would be my choice I would leave the 9 or 12 trunks that allow the most even use of space - IOW - so they are as evenly spaced as possible. Once the planting got to the size at which I'd like to maintain it, I would automatically remove the 3 largest trunks and keep 3 suckers that best contribute to the even distribution of trunks, removing the rest of the suckers that sprouted in the growth cycle previous. This is a basic plan for cyclic rejuvenation.

Very important to the well being of the planting and the amount of vitality it can/will display is how you maintain the roots. Potting up ensures the limitations associated with root congestion in the largest part of the root mass are always restricting the plants growth and vitality. Full repots, which include root pruning to remove larger and all problem roots ensures the lifting of all restrictions imposed by root congestion - until approximately the next point in time when the root/soil mass can be lifted from the pot intact. At that point, root congestion again begins to impact growth and vitality and it's time to repot when it's next appropriate (spring - at or just before budswell).

If you plan on making a long-term project out of this plant, this tool might prove very useful:

If the picture didn't come out clear/large enough, do a search for bonsai knob cutter.
Al

This message was edited Nov 1, 2015 6:15 PM