The Lilacs have really been putting in a show this spring. They started blooming quite a bit later because of the cool temperatures. The flowers have been looking fresh longer too.
- Lilacs have been flowering profusely this spring.
Some of the early varieties have started to fade, but the later varieties are still looking fine. A big bouquet of Lilacs can really brighten up a room. Also, cutting flower stems is just about the best kind of pruning you can do for your Lilac bush. Cut off as many stems as you need; you won’t hurt the plant.
Keep your flowers fresh by stripping off the leaves from the stem. Also crush the base of the stems before placing them into water. A pair of pliers works well for small stems; use a small hammer for larger stems.
It’s a very good idea to snip off all of the old flowers once your Lilac has finished blooming. Removing all the faded flowers will help stimulate the plant to produce even more flowers next year. The old flowers never fall off, they end up forming brown panicles that makes the shrub look a bit messy. So, that is another good reason to remove them.
Don’t worry if you are not able to get to snipping off the flowers, your Lilac will still do just fine without any attention. That is another reason why Lilacs have been so popular since colonial times.
There is also a discussion on crushing Lilac stems here.
Bob