shoots from lilac stumps - Ask Extension
Several of our big lilac bushes were cut down to ground level during some home remodeling last fall. We thought they were dead, but now they're produc...
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shoots from lilac stumps #791036
Asked May 16, 2022, 12:32 PM EDT
Several of our big lilac bushes were cut down to ground level during some home remodeling last fall. We thought they were dead, but now they're producing a LOT of little shoots! Should I just allow them to grow however they want to grow, or should I prune back some or most of the shoots to encourage just a few main "trunks" to develop? Photo attached - thank you!
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Pruning will not decrease the number. You will have to sever the roots and leave just a few to develop. I personally have more success removing the entire clump and then replanting the largest ones. As long as you keep them well watered they will grow well. They will probably not flower for several years.
Cutting them to the ground is what we call regeneration pruning because it encourages new plants to replace the old spindly ones.
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/lilacs
Cutting them to the ground is what we call regeneration pruning because it encourages new plants to replace the old spindly ones.
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/lilacs
