if it doesnt get full sun it won't bloom. It will grow but never bloom. Poor soil, needing more water ruff treatment by animals are all reasons why it would not bloom.
How big was it when you planted it? If it was still young, then it may take another year or two - lilacs have to be a certain minimum age or size to bloom, but I forget the number. If it is planted in lawn, and the lawn is well fed, the lilac may be getting too much nitrogen, which encourages leaves at the expense of flowers. If your soil is very acidic, then the lilac may be struggling - they like a sweeter, more basic soil, but since you say it is lush and green, I doubt that's your problem. Take a look at the ends of the branches - if there are very fat buds next to thinner buds, then it set some flower buds last summer, and you may - depending on the severity of the winter, late spring frosts, etc., etc. - get a few flowers this spring. It takes a few years before most lilacs are full of flowers, like you see in the photos. There are exceptions, but in general, it just takes time.
Here’s a rundown of the most common reasons a lilac might not bloom:
Shade:
Excess shade is the most likely culprit when lilacs fail to bloom well. Lilacs bloom best in full sunlight, or at least a half-day of sun. Anything less will mean fewer flowers developing. When they’re in a location that’s shaded all day, lilacs rarely bloom at all. Sometimes the shade creeps up over the years as nearby shade trees grow taller and fuller. In many cases, the lilacs may have been planted in a poor location to begin with.
Pruning:
If you prune lilacs back drastically, it may take a number of years before they begin to bloom again. They should produce flowers eventually, but it could take three or four years – maybe even longer. If you prune only lightly, but wait until mid to late summer to do it, you may not see many flowers the following year. That’s because the flower buds for the following year are set shortly after the plant is through blooming. So if you do plan to prune, be sure to do it right after the flowers fade in spring. At the very least, you may wish to remove the brown flower/seed clusters which are unsightly.
Nutrients:
Lilacs are not heavy feeders; they don’t need fertilizer to make them bloom. Often, in an attempt to help young plants become established, people will fertilize them several times each spring and summer. Plus, there’s usually some lawn nearby, which is also fertilized. This abundance of nutrients, especially nitrogen, encourages the lilac to make a lot of leafy, vegetative growth – which may come at the expense of flower bud development. If this appears to be the case, and the plant receives plenty of sunlight and hasn’t been pruned too heavily or at the wrong time, simply stop the fertilizing. Eventually, it should begin to bloom well.
Moisture:
Lilacs grow best in well-drained soil. While wet, poorly-drained soil isn’t directly associated with lack of blooms, it is associated with plants that develop root rots or generally fail to thrive. If you have a young lilac in a low lying moist location, transplant it to a more favorable site if at all possible.
If the lilac bush has never been trimmed of old branches it most likely won't flower. How big is the bush! Plant Food for flowering plants. ( timed fertilizers are good) then water really well. My Lilac bushes are like trees and not all of them get full sun. The soil is mostly clay. I take off all the old branches or old blooms and Our lilacs grow and bloom.
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if it doesnt get full sun it won't bloom. It will grow but never bloom. Poor soil, needing more water ruff treatment by animals are all reasons why it would not bloom.
The garden store might have an idea for a plant food.
How big was it when you planted it? If it was still young, then it may take another year or two - lilacs have to be a certain minimum age or size to bloom, but I forget the number. If it is planted in lawn, and the lawn is well fed, the lilac may be getting too much nitrogen, which encourages leaves at the expense of flowers. If your soil is very acidic, then the lilac may be struggling - they like a sweeter, more basic soil, but since you say it is lush and green, I doubt that's your problem. Take a look at the ends of the branches - if there are very fat buds next to thinner buds, then it set some flower buds last summer, and you may - depending on the severity of the winter, late spring frosts, etc., etc. - get a few flowers this spring. It takes a few years before most lilacs are full of flowers, like you see in the photos. There are exceptions, but in general, it just takes time.
Here’s a rundown of the most common reasons a lilac might not bloom:
Shade:
Excess shade is the most likely culprit when lilacs fail to bloom well. Lilacs bloom best in full sunlight, or at least a half-day of sun. Anything less will mean fewer flowers developing. When they’re in a location that’s shaded all day, lilacs rarely bloom at all. Sometimes the shade creeps up over the years as nearby shade trees grow taller and fuller. In many cases, the lilacs may have been planted in a poor location to begin with.
Pruning:
If you prune lilacs back drastically, it may take a number of years before they begin to bloom again. They should produce flowers eventually, but it could take three or four years – maybe even longer. If you prune only lightly, but wait until mid to late summer to do it, you may not see many flowers the following year. That’s because the flower buds for the following year are set shortly after the plant is through blooming. So if you do plan to prune, be sure to do it right after the flowers fade in spring. At the very least, you may wish to remove the brown flower/seed clusters which are unsightly.
Nutrients:
Lilacs are not heavy feeders; they don’t need fertilizer to make them bloom. Often, in an attempt to help young plants become established, people will fertilize them several times each spring and summer. Plus, there’s usually some lawn nearby, which is also fertilized. This abundance of nutrients, especially nitrogen, encourages the lilac to make a lot of leafy, vegetative growth – which may come at the expense of flower bud development. If this appears to be the case, and the plant receives plenty of sunlight and hasn’t been pruned too heavily or at the wrong time, simply stop the fertilizing. Eventually, it should begin to bloom well.
Moisture:
Lilacs grow best in well-drained soil. While wet, poorly-drained soil isn’t directly associated with lack of blooms, it is associated with plants that develop root rots or generally fail to thrive. If you have a young lilac in a low lying moist location, transplant it to a more favorable site if at all possible.
If the lilac bush has never been trimmed of old branches it most likely won't flower. How big is the bush! Plant Food for flowering plants. ( timed fertilizers are good) then water really well. My Lilac bushes are like trees and not all of them get full sun. The soil is mostly clay. I take off all the old branches or old blooms and Our lilacs grow and bloom.
I recommend sprinkling a mixture of used coffee grounds and ground up eggshells on the soil at the base of the bush.