How do I prune mature lilac bushes and get new shoots to grow?

I have two lilacbushes that are probably forty years old and twenty feet high. I cut off some of the old stems near the base last year understanding that new shoots would come up. They didn%26#039;t. My understanding was that the new shoots would produce flowers in two years. Any suggestions as to what went wrong?

How do I prune mature lilac bushes and get new shoots to grow?
Maybe the new shoots didn%26#039;t come up because they were pruned at the wrong time. Usually, pruning should be done immediately after the flowers have died off.





Hard pruning is done in late winter ...March or early April... to induce shoots to develop during the growing season.


%26quot;cut back the overgrown shrubs over a three-year period. Begin the procedure by removing one-third of the large, old stems at ground level in late winter. The following year (again in late winter), prune out one-half of the remaining old stems. Also, thin out some of the new growth. Retain several well-spaced, vigorous stems and remove all the others. Finally, remove all of the remaining old wood in late winter of the third year. Additional thinning of the new shoots should also be done. Since lilac wood needs to be 3 or more years of age before it blooms, this pruning method should allow you to enjoy flowers every spring. This is my usual mode of rejuvenation pruning lilacs.%26quot;


http://www.helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03...
Reply:Thank you! Good Luck on pruning your lilacs. That article gives a really sensible approach to pruning mature lilacs :) Report It





commericial loan