lilac bush starts

This spring I dug up two small starts from my grandma's lilac bush. They are literally only a stick or two. At first, I had just heeled them into the ground, until I decided what to do with them. Well, they didn't do so well there, so I dug them up and put both in a little 4" pot. The leaves were on the verge of drying out when I dug them up, and they still look a little shrivel, but still green and alive. It has been quite awhile since I did this, so I'm pretty sure they're still alive. Anyway, my question is, what do I need to do to get them from going from a puny little stick to something more full and bushy. I know I probably won't get these results this season, but wasn't sure if I should be fertilizing or maybe pinching back so they'd start to get new growth? They're maybe 5 inches tall at most, both starts were dug up with roots attached. Any ideas?

Kristie

Hi. I'm no expert but I've had some luck with lilacs. I would suggest you put them in the ground as soon as possible, but in the evening so that they have a cooler period to adjust. Water immediately (or better yet, fill the hole with water before you put the plants in and water the plants before putting into the holes). Lilac likes lots of water, so make sure you water this at least twice a day for the next several weeks unless you get some rain of course. I'm unsure as to fertilizing, but lilac seems to enjoy a rich soil. I wouldn't bother cutting it back if there is only 5 inches of plant now. Good luck.

Thanks for the help! I was planning on giving one of the starts to my sister, but I should see her this weekend, so we should be able to get both of ours in the ground pretty soon. It's been in the 90's here, do you think that's too hot?

Kristie

Hi, sorry I didn't get back to you right away. Plants should do okay as long as you keep them well-watered and plant towards dusk to give them maximum time to adjust during a cooler period. How are they doing?

I did the same thing about 3 years ago-put a lilac twig in a planter. The first spring I got 7 leaves, the next 13. (I'm not kidding, I was counting!) The next spring I put some worm casting tea in the planter, and the whole thing went poof! It grew so full I got concerned and planted it in the ground this summer. I can't swear it was the worm poo. It might have taken 3 years to develop some good roots. Oh, I also got some stray clover growing in the pot, it is possible that might have helped somehow, but I'm still betting on the worm poo.

I'm sure the worm poo didn't hurt, but there is that rule of thumb "first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap" so I suspect you would have noticed a fair amount more growth that year anyway even without it.

Well, vbab, I took them over to my sister's house so she could pick one, and then left them both over there! I'm assuming they're still doing ok!

Gardenza, if keeping them in a planter worked for you, I may just do that until they get big enough that my hubby won't mow them over. I could see that happening! Oh, and where does one buy worm poo? lol.

Kristie

ecrane3-I've never heard that one, but if it's been around a while, it's probably true. I toted that poor little plant around through at least 3 different moves, and I had almost given up on it! I was so proud of my little worm bed I wanted to give it as much credit as possible:>)

Kristie-I took a handful of worms from my sister's well established garden and started my own bed. I just added kitchen scraps and whatever I thought might be good for them, and they really multiplied. I feel a little weird enjoying it so much, but I live on a hill that is decomposed granite and rock, so whatever soil I have I have to ''make" myself. The worms have really saved the day, because I don't like to use store-bought fertilizers or compost.

Ok, so the "worm casting tea" you made yourself.....how do you harvest worm poo? Is "casting" and "poo" synonomous? This bed you're talking about, is it a special enclosed bed for growing worms, or is it just a flower bed? never knew there were so many questions about worm poo, did you ? :)

Kristie

Yes, castings and poo are the same stuff...if you're easily grossed out call them castings, but if you prefer the total honesty approach then it's poo! LOL If you don't have a worm bin, you can buy worm castings, around here you can often find it at garden centers but I'm sure there are online sources too. I'm sure it's nicer and fresher if you have your own worm bin though.

interesting...so, how do you tell the poo from the dirt?

The poo looks a lot like coffee grounds, only not so black, I think. I harvest the hard way-take a handful of bedding, worms, everything in the box, put it in a regular kitchen style strainer (very tiny mesh) and wash water through it. Obviously that is pretty labor intensive, and I know there are faster ways, but the liquid that I get from that is VERY rich in nutrients, and what doesn't strain through just goes back in the bin to get eaten. It doesn't harm the worms, either.
Here are some pics of the bed I made. It has double walls so I can insulate it from our extreme weather. During the summer I have to keep wet straw on the lid to cool it, and during the winter I'm hoping the straw will keep it from getting too cold. I just made it this spring, still learning a lot.

The structure is 4x4's and cedar 2x6's, probably overkill, but I wanted it to last.

The blue barrel is another kind of compost effort-I fill it with stuff and roll it every day. Not as fun, but it does speed up the process.

Kristie, if it works to keep it in a planter, do so, but I have always had better luck putting plants right in the ground. Gives them more room to stretch their roots. If hubby needs to be made aware there is a bush there put up a flag or BIG rocks. =) Worm poo sounds great but more work than I would want to deal with. I envy your detication, gardenza. I too don't like commercial fetilizers or chemicals.