Calling all garden pros?

I have a lilac bush that i planted about 3-4 months ago... it looked like it died about a week after i planted it (it never bloomed %26amp; looks sad, but not completely done) Do they come back? Did i plant it at a bad time? Is there anything i can do to bring it back? Tell me all you know, PLEASE!!!

Calling all garden pros?
First.. make sure you took it out of the pot. I know... but it's like the "did you plug it in?" question when people have computer problems! :-) And I have seen this happen!!!





Second, look for animal damage. I'm trying to resurrect a lilac that a *#%%26amp;! chipmunk tunneled under. Roots don't grow well in air.





Third, how did you plant it? Shrubs should have a hole dug that's about twice the size of the pot. In that hole you should mix some good soil, some compost or peat moss, some organic fertilizer, then pour some water in. Wait until the water is all absorbed ***, then plant your plant, filling the hole around the plant with more of the soil/peat or compost mix. Press the soil down well around the roots. I actually tromp it down with shrubs. Take the rest of the soil that was in the hole and make a raised ring around the now-filled hole. This makes a little basin that you can fill with water. Put a layer of mulch over the soil in the basin.





For the first few months of the shrub's life, especially for the first month and the dry months of July/August, keep the shrub watered by deeply watering it at least twice a week, perhaps every other day in the dry months. Fill the basin with water. A shrub will take an entire large watering can of water, or use the hose to fill the basin.





*** If the water doesn't absorb then you might have clay soil or be planting in a soil so hard and rocky that water can't absorb. In this case you need to dig an even BIGGER hole, like 3 times the size of the pot or more, or the roots will not thrive. Fill the bigger hole with the soil plus peat/compost mix until it's back to twice the size of the pot, then continue.
Reply:Good question because I have planted a couple of bushes and was really discouraged when they didn't start growing. I have found they will usually start growing in the spring again so I will see. Good question.
Reply:If you planted it 3-4 months ago, this was a good time. If you kept it watered, it should be fine. It will not bloom the first year. Do not trim it now or you will not have any blooms next year. Lilacs should be trimmed right after they bloom.
Reply:Sometimes lilacs take a few years before they bloom. If you have cold winters where you live ,in the early spring you need to spray with an oil and lime dormant spray to kill overwintering insects. I'm sure if you keep it watered it will be fine. Next spring you may be surprised with a few flowers. The scent of lilacs in spring is your reward for planting it.
Reply:1.they never bloom the first season.2 they only bloom for 3-6 weeks.if the branches are brittle and break easy check the area and move it if you have to.they grow wild.check and see if the bottom of the we'll call it a trunk has any cuts,gouges or insect larvae.if cuts are deep.go get tree prune aerosol and fill in the cuts.it's basically rubber in a can.good luck
Reply:If you lived anywhere near the area that had a unseasonablly HARD freeze in April, lasting nearly a week - and your bush was planted before that - it would explain a lot about why it it doing so poorly.





If you didn't have the awful weather, then it sounds merely like it had some serious transplant shock, with the new growth dying back immediately (which would explain why you got no flowers this year - which normally occur mid-spring.)





If it is alive, that is, has any leaves on it at all - even small and misshapen ones, then your bush indeed has a good chance.





Next spring, after the new growth comes out, prune off any branches that do not produce any leaves - those are dead. But the lilac bush is one tough customer, and should look much better next year. Whether it blooms will depend on how old it is. lilacs usually need several years before they bloom. Although if you planted a bush 2-3 feet tall, it's mostly likely old enough already.





Also - I never spray my lilacs - and I've never known then to be susceptible to much in the way of insect attack. It one of the most disease and pest resistant plants in my garden.





Have patience, try not to fuss about how pathetic it looks this year, and see what next year brings. In the meantime, since it's a new transplant, treat it as usual for a new plant. Water once a week if it's hot and dry. Put a hose on the rootball, turn it on to a very slow trickle, and let it go for about 20-30 minutes. When the weather turns cooler, about once every 10-14 days is enough - if it doesn't rain. But often fall is wet enough naturally.



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