Lilac Bush?

A local nusery friend just gave me about 12 large lilac bushes!!!

She said she has never gotten them to bloom. (one did bloom, but it was a teeny tiny tiny bloom).

What do I need to do to get them to bloom? (try saying that ten times fast,LOL!)

I am turning one into a bonsai, the others will be planted all over our yard. Any advice will be truly appreciated!
( when I figure out exactly how many I have- I can take some cuttings for DG`ers!)
Thanks Y'all!!!

Heavy root pruning as well as limb thinning should give you bloom the second year after planting. The first year will be a rebuilding year, the second should be your reward year.
Make sure they are all in good sun, good drainage, and little to no fertilizer. I find other than pruning my lilac prefer to be ignored.
Hope this helps some....good luck and enjoy. Lilac are truly one of my favorites.

i was under the impression that lilacs bloom on three year old wood. So don't prune @ all unless you have to thin it out. It just takes time.

I prune each year just after bloom....the new growth comes in after, the next years flower is set on that. I suppose I could be all wrong, but that is how it has been going with mine....at least as far as I can tell.

Thanks guys!!!!! HHEHEHEHE- SO HAPPY HERE!!!!!! :-))

Hi rikerbear:

Where's that post of your pic of your lilac bush...that thing is amazing. I looked for the post but can't find it and I wanted to watch the thread to keep it as a reference (thought I had marked it but I guess not).

Thanks, Tracey

Hiya Tracy...thanks for compliment on the bushes. They are indeed a lot of work during Spring pruning, but after that its ignor city :-)

Here's the link to the origonal thread:
http://davesgarden.com/t/424601/

And the pic for good measures :-)

Beautiful, beautiful!

Tracey

:-) To bad they only last a couple weeks.

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! Oh wow-
Thanks for the tips guys. (((hugs)))

Hi my DH and I just went to our Garden Centre who had one of the Gardener's off of the H.G.T.V show and their theory was if your lilac dose't bloom to use a sharp spade and all around the drip line of your lilac, push the spade straight in then straight out again. It shooks the roots of the lilacs and the following spring you should have lots of flowers. I think I will be doing that to mine this year, I got one flower on one of my three lilacs. At another house I bought a lilac for my husband for Fathers Day and that little tree had blooms right from the start and were almost to big for the tree. I wish they would bloom all summer as well, lilacs and lily of the valley are sure sign of spring with their scents and beauty.
Flowerpot