Ever since Lilacs came to America they have been a long standing favorite for nature lovers. The "old fashioned" species' that are so familiar to us are the Syringa Vulgaris hybrids.
Lilacs need a sunny, well drained spot. They do not like their feet wet! If your soil is on the acidic side, you may want to look into amending it with lime, or fertilizing lilacs with bone meal. Bone meal is high in phosphorous and encourages big, showy blooms. Avoid feeding lilacs with fertilizer that has a high nitrogen content, as this will depleat blooms. The general application rate for bone meal is about 1/2 cup to every 1/2 inch of trunk diameter. Repeat application annually in early spring. Whatever you do, don't prune your lilacs in late summer or fall! It is best to prune as soon as the spring blooms fade, because the following years' blooms begin to form as soon as this years have passed. It is reccommended to prune only a third of the plant at a time, so as not to shock it. We grow twenty different varieties of Lilacs here at the nursery and it is quite a spectacle when they're all in full bloom!
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