Lilac

Gr8tfuldad

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I had so many plans to collect this year, well, this is the only plant I managed to collect. I wish there were more hours in the day…
So this is a lilac that I got from my yard. I reduced the foliage up top but left some up there. There are several young shoots at the bottom which I left alone.
I really don’t like the vertical nature of the two branches, other than reducing or removing what can I do with them? I would love opinions.
I do plan on reducing the trunk and carving as it is hollow down below.
 

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I would recommend that you grow the branches up and out to eventually form a crown.
This looks like good material to play around with. Lilacs are fun, l had one but gave it to someone in my local club.
One issue that l had was that it was always throwing out suckers. I would try to limit those and see if you can get more growth up higher.
 
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I had so many plans to collect this year, well, this is the only plant I managed to collect. I wish there were more hours in the day…
So this is a lilac that I got from my yard. I reduced the foliage up top but left some up there. There are several young shoots at the bottom which I left alone.
I really don’t like the vertical nature of the two branches, other than reducing or removing what can I do with them? I would love opinions.
I do plan on reducing the trunk and carving as it is hollow down below.
Opinion: Consider a 'Mother-Daughter" two trunk tree reading our left-to-right. Another option is air-layer the top 1/2, and grow out the bottom one, but that takes the fun out of working with whatever nature has thrown you.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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If you just dug this out of the ground Friday, you can still cut those long branches short, the tree will still back bud. I would cut all the branches to stubs. See where and how many back buds form. lilac are profuse at back budding the first time they are "chopped back".

If it was dug and cut a month or more ago, energy has already been expended, maybe wait until next year to chop the long branches to stubs.

Like you I am not a fan of those long branches, no reason to keep them.
 

Gr8tfuldad

Chumono
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If you just dug this out of the ground Friday, you can still cut those long branches short, the tree will still back bud. I would cut all the branches to stubs. See where and how many back buds form. lilac are profuse at back budding the first time they are "chopped back".

If it was dug and cut a month or more ago, energy has already been expended, maybe wait until next year to chop the long branches to stubs.

Like you I am not a fan of those long branches, no reason to keep them.
I just took it out a week ago. It was near the property line so I wanted to take it out before anyone else had their way with it. It wilted for 1 day, gave it more shade and it recovered well. I decided I am going to give it the year to build a stronger root system and potentially chop in the fall or late winter next year. I cleaned up some of dead branches and started eyeing up carving options for the trunk😃
 

Gr8tfuldad

Chumono
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If you just dug this out of the ground Friday, you can still cut those long branches short, the tree will still back bud. I would cut all the branches to stubs. See where and how many back buds form. lilac are profuse at back budding the first time they are "chopped back".

If it was dug and cut a month or more ago, energy has already been expended, maybe wait until next year to chop the long branches to stubs.

Like you I am not a fan of those long branches, no reason to keep them.
Patience is not my strong suit, I chopped it back. After hearing what you said I decided to put balance into the root to leaf ratio. Thanks for the guidance.

Would you wait to chop back and carve the trunk? My fear is damaging new roots developing by working on it more just yet. Thanks.
 
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I would wait for it to get established it the pot and carve in a yr or two.
Also carving takes time and you want that effort to pay off… l make sure the tree makes it first.
 

Gr8tfuldad

Chumono
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I would wait for it to get established it the pot and carve in a yr or two.
Also carving takes time and you want that effort to pay off… l make sure the tree makes it first.
Sound logic, thanks.
 
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