What to do when lilac bushes don't produce blooms?

  5 answers
  • Anna M Yasson Anna M Yasson on May 12, 2017

    I'm no expert, but don't have Lilac, the spreed by root, making new bushes, with a sharp spade, cut the roots around the bush, and cut the dead blooms off after called dead heading, or they make seeds , takes away from the flowering.



  • FL FL on May 12, 2017

    I use to have lilacs at my old house and they were wonderful! I looked up what the reason could be why your lilac stopped blooming and found a website with multiple suggestions from age, improper pruning to root restriction. here is the site and maybe you can see what the problem is by the process of elimination.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac/lilac-bush-not-blooming.htm  ; Good luck!

  • Patricia Patricia on May 12, 2017

    Check for root balls and prune regularly.

  • Eilene Eilene on May 13, 2017

    I had a huge lilac bush that was trimmed back every year and never bloomed. I checked with a worker at a privately owned plant farm and he told me if you want your lilacs to bloom don't trim them back. It worked next year I had blooms.

  • Jean Jean on May 14, 2017

    if you're not done pruning for the year? (immediately after blooming) that may be the problem - it sets buds on new wood, and if you prune it late, they get lost.


    if it's an old fashioned (Persian) lilac, and the main trunks are thicker than 4", it could just be tired - cut the largest trunk just shy of the ground, let it produce some new growth from the base, and then prune out all but two at the end of the summer.


    the new shoots will take two years to bloom, but they will last 20 years or more.