Lilacs from seed

Has anyone ever grown a lilac bush from seed? Should I just start with a dixie cup and some potting soil and go from there? I got some seeds from eBay, and I want to know what's the best way to grow them. I'm certainly not doing very well growing lilacs from plants.

You are brave. I've only grown from bare root or gallon plants myself. But it sounds like you have the right idea, start 'em small, keep indoors maybe until leafed out, then plant outside as bare root. But I'm thinking it'll be a few years before you see blossoms.

BTW, why do you think you have trouble with the plants? I'm a terrible gardener (that's why I signed up here, to learn what my mistakes are, LOL) but lilacs have done well for me with benign neglect in full sun, good mulch, and well-drained soil. I don't even fertilize regularly. Maybe we can trouble-shoot lilac plants for you, then you can order some of those gorgeous plants from that guy in Canada. Or that guy in NY/

I think most people haven't grown lilacs from seed because it's so easy to start new plants from the suckers that grow up around the base of them.

What kind of lilacs are you looking for, White-hydrangea? I have double whites and the old fashioned light purple singles. Be glad to dig you up some rooted suckers.

I find volunteer seedlings under several of our lilac species (especially S. vulgaris, S. pekinensis) so they can't be all that tough to grow! But like Hart said, some of the shrub species come so freely from suckers that people just move those around.

Guy S.

Lilac seed is incredibly easy to germinate if 2 months of cold moist stratification is given previously. But remember that unless you are working with the plain old lavender or white lilac, you'll get variation in bloom that may not be satisfactory. Named varieties are cutting propagated, not through seed, because too much variation occurs.

I'd say, stick with the suckers. If you are having problems growing lilac, this is the most common problem: lilacs abhor wet feet. Be sure you are not planting any deeper than natural depth and plant in well drained areas.

Rick

I planted my lilacs in full sun by the fence on a small slope so the water runs down to the fence. I deep water them every few days if it doesn't rain. They were healthy when I put them in, so I didn't think I'd have trouble growing them, but I have lousy, sandy soil. I can't grow much besides weeds in it unless I amend and compost and add bagged garden soil. But I was told NOT to do any amendments to the soil around lilacs. Lilac 1 I just plopped into the ground. With lilac 2 I added some bagged garden soil and mixed it in. With lilac 3 I added organic garden soil and a bit of compost/manure mixture. None of these is doing well, though. I lost lilac 2, the bare root. Number 1 started to put out some new growth finally then went south again. Lilac 3 seemed to do well for a while, although it didn't grow, then the leaves turned brown and dried up.

The only lilacs that are doing well are the ones that are still in the pots they came in, sitting on my picnic table on the patio. I need to plant them this year, but I'm waiting until the day time temperatures fall into the mid seventies. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to plant them. I feel really bad when I kill plants.

The seeds I got from ebay, and they're labeled purple French lilac. I have them, so I may as well plant them and give it a try.

And yes, I'm interested in the suckers. Thanks for the offer.

Check the pH. Lilacs seem to have a narrow pH tolerance. You may need amendments just to keep the pH in the right range.

I'll do that.

Yes, they are fussy with their pH level, but otherwise super easy to grow.
I bet that's the problem.
Long ago I vowed to never pay money for a lilac because they are so easy to propagate from cuttings (easy for me, anyway).

The one lilac I bought turned out to be a big disappointment, suckering like crazy, growing huge and GREEN, but not having a single flower for 4 years. This year it finally flowered, but was unimpressive. Super healthy, but super lame.

Compare that to the cuttings and sucker-transplants that produced tons of gorgeous flowers the next year.

But, seeds are always exciting because you never know what you're going to get, in terms of genetic expression. Growing trees and shrubs from seeds is really fun, and instead of reproducing clones, you get one-of-a-kinds, and variety. Not all will be keepers, probably. But you might get something really great.

Keep us posted, no one should be denied the pleasure of lilacs in bloom!!