The Best Lilac Fertilizer: How to Choose the Best One

Many individuals discovered interesting hobbies because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since most people are required to stay home, they searched for several ways to avoid the feelings of loneliness and boredom. Among these hobbies that you might also be interested in is growing your plants, particularly the beautiful northern spring-flowering lilacs. As a beginner, you might need help choosing the best lilac fertilizer or identifying when is the best time to use it. Worry not because we’re here to guide you in making your lilac plants bloom.

Is There A Difference Between A Lilac Tree and A Lilac Bush?

Lilac comes from the genus Syringa, which consists of 25 species of aromatic and lovely flowering small trees and shrubs. It is widely cultivated, particularly in Asia and eastern Europe. Lilacs are commonly described as deciduous having deep green leaves attached opposite along their stems. Their leaves are simple while their flowers are small. The exciting thing about lilac is its fruit that looks like a leathery capsule.

Lilacs are undoubtedly beautiful; no wonder many gardeners would love to see them growing in their backyards. These plants grow well in sunny locations, making them a perfect option for temperate areas. If you never tried planting lilac before, you might be confused by a lilac tree and a lilac bush. But is there a difference? The answer is its height. A lilac tree and a lilac bush refer to the same plant, which is lilac. If the lilac plant is smaller than a tree, then you may call it a lilac bush. But if it grows taller, then you may call it a lilac tree.

Should You Fertilize Lilacs?

Like people who drink vitamins to boost their immune system, plants also need fertilizers to thrive. And when it comes to planting lilacs, you need to pick the best fertilizer that will help them grow and bloom beautifully. If you want to grow lilacs, it is vital to use the best lilac fertilizer to ensure that these plants grow healthy and bloom beautifully. It may take time to see the flower of the lilacs since this plant is a late-blooming shrub. Besides using fertilizers, you need to grow it in a sunny location with slightly alkaline to neutral soil. Not only that, but you also need to do occasional pruning to keep the plant’s best appearance.

Choosing the Best Lilac Fertilizer

Fertilizers are essential in keeping healthy lilacs. But how do you pick the best lilac fertilizer? How can you ensure that it will not harm your plants? Take a look at the following tips:

1. Identify the soil type where you will plant your lilac.

As mentioned, lilacs grow well in slightly to alkaline soil. The problem is not all areas have this soil type. The good news is you can improve the soil that is low in fertility. For instance, soil with low fertility can be enhanced by adding cow manure and lilac fertilizer. Make sure that the fertilizer is high in phosphorus. Doing this tip can promote flowering in your lilac plants.

2. Use Epsom salt and sugar to speed up flower production.

Are you tired of waiting for your precious lilac to bloom? You may use Epsom salt and sugar in speeding up the process of flower production. With Epsom salt, you can make your lilac plants grow bushier, increase flowers, and boost chlorophyll production. But make sure not to over-fertilize your lilacs because they won’t bloom.

3. Use bone meal to make the soil more alkaline.

Bone meal refers to a powder that comes from ground-up animal bones, such as beef bones. The bone meal is usually steamed to make it available as plant fertilizer. Many gardeners use it to make the soil more alkaline. What makes bone meal fertilizer an ideal choice is that it is easier for lilacs to take in.

When Should You Fertilize Lilacs?

Lilacs don’t need too much fertilizer. The truth is you can apply lilac fertilizer once a year. You can only apply more if you see that it is not growing as normal as expected. If you see that your lilacs aren’t blooming, try to wait for some time since these plants are late-bloomers. Sometimes, it is also in the brand of lilac fertilizer you are using, so make sure to choose the right fertilizer. Fertilizing lilacs is necessary if the soil is not fertile and lacks the nutrients this plant needs to survive. But if the soil is in excellent condition, you have the option not to use lilac fertilizer.

What Grows Well With Lilac?

If you are considering having a flowering garden. You may add other plants to your list aside from the lilac. You only have to choose the best companions for the lilac plants so that you can extend the lilac floriation. There’s a wide range of flowering shrubs or small trees to choose from, but the following are some of the best options:

Dogwoods

Flowering dogwoods are an ideal option as a lilac companion. Its color ranges from white to pink or red. Dogwoods generally bloom for about two to four weeks in early spring.

Flowering crabapples

If you have a large area for growing different kinds of plants, you might not want to miss growing crabapple in your landscape. This plant is usually referred to as the “jewels of the landscape” because it creates aromatic blossoms. The color of the flowers varies from white to pale pink to red.

Mock orange

Mock orange could be the best pick if you want some citrus fragrance in your garden. Like lilacs, it is also a late spring-blooming plant, but it looks beautiful once you place it in borders. Mock oranges can also be used as stand-alone specimen plants.

Growing lilacs might sound intimidating, but it is not. Even if you are not a gardening expert, you can grow this plant healthily and produce bushier lilacs by following the right gardening steps. By planting the lilac in excellent soil condition, choosing the best lilac fertilizer, and performing occasional pruning, you can find your lilacs bloom in no time.

Additional Search and Resources

• common lilac
• flower buds
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• late winter
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• French lilac
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• hardy plants
• purple flowers
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• poor blooms
• Bloom time
• loss of blooms