Lilac roots

[Gene Deci]

I have had a common lilac that started out as a sucker on a beautiful big old bush that belonged to my mother-in-law. It spent a number of years in a nursery container just to keep it going until I had a place for it. Then, about ten years ago I decided to “bonsai” it instead and it has been in a pot ever since. It has never bloomed but it has often been neglected. It is usually a year or two past time for repotting when I get around to it. This year was no exception and the roots where amazing. There was essentially no soil left in the pot at all and the root mass looked like a mold of the pot. I had cut them back all around and was preparing to cut out wedges when I thought to take a picture. I don’t know of another species that grows such densely packed roots or is so forgiving of neglect. They bud back profusely and would be great for bonsai except it seems they won’t bloom in a pot.

 

[sorce]

I have had a common lilac that started out as a sucker on a beautiful big old bush that belonged to my mother-in-law. It spent a number of years in a nursery container just to keep it going until I had a place for it. Then, about ten years ago I decided to “bonsai” it instead and it has been in a pot ever since. It has never bloomed but it has often been neglected. It is usually a year or two past time for repotting when I get around to it. This year was no exception and the roots where amazing. There was essentially no soil left in the pot at all and the root mass looked like a mold of the pot. I had cut them back all around and was preparing to cut out wedges when I thought to take a picture. I don’t know of another species that grows such densely packed roots or is so forgiving of neglect. They bud back profusely and would be great for bonsai except it seems they won’t bloom in a pot.

View attachment 102639

Man....the title should have been...

Roots and More!

Like flare, trunkage, a decent branching pattern with nice proportions, decent taper....

F yeah!

Sorce

 

[mattspinniken]

You should see some of his other trees Sorce!

If there was a ever a candidate for the "wedge method" as you described to me I think this tree is it . Great tree!

 

[jeanluc83]

Are you sure you didn't take a stick and put it in some ramen?

Walter Pall's as some lilac bonsai that bloom. He has said that it is one of the very few trees that he has in a largely organic substrate. I think he recommends something like 50% organic. That might have something to do with it. I also seem to remember that lilacs bloom on two year old shoots. So if you trim them back the won't bloom. I could be wrong though.

 

[Gene Deci]

Are you sure you didn't take a stick and put it in some ramen?

Walter Pall's as some lilac bonsai that bloom. He has said that it is one of the very few trees that he has in a largely organic substrate. I think he recommends something like 50% organic. That might have something to do with it. I also seem to remember that lilacs bloom on two year old shoots. So if you trim them back the won't bloom. I could be wrong though.

Awhile ago I let it grow out for a couple of years to see if it would bloom. Used high "P" fertilizer too. But it didn't work. Maybe I didn't wait quite long enough but by then it was hardly a bonsai anymore so I cut it back.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice lilac, I like it.

Lilac bloom from terminal buds formed on branches the year previous. I know for landscape plants, they suggest prune immediately after blooming, then let it grow. Pruning later in the summer, July, August, Sept. will remove the flower buds. So for 2017 flowers, no pruning after middle of June or beginning of July 2016.

I also know that to get blooms, they must be in full sun. The shaded side of landscape lilacs simply don't bloom. They need full sun for the majority of the day. If your tree is not in direct sun for more than half the day, that could be the reason it is not blooming.

Other than that, I'm not sure why yours would not be blooming.

 

[jeanluc83]

Thanks Leo. I knew it was something like that. I didn't know about them needing to grow in full sun though.

One of these years I need to collect some lilac. Down the road from my parents there is an old foundation from a house that burned down about 100 years ago. Near it are some old lilacs with trunk diameters in the 5-6 inch range. I have been inching for years to collect one but just haven't. Maybe next year.

 

[Nwaite]

That's a nice one. Thanks for sharing.

My wife and I are selling a home we own and I just went over last we a dug up a ton for shoots all around the lilacs we had there...

Do you know if I was to dig up some of the larger one and cut it to a stump if it would back bud and grow new shoots?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That's a nice one. Thanks for sharing.

My wife and I are selling a home we own and I just went over last we a dug up a ton for shoots all around the lilacs we had there...

Do you know if I was to dig up some of the larger one and cut it to a stump if it would back bud and grow new shoots?

Lilacs are pretty hardy. where you are at, if buds have not opened, I'm sure you could be successful. Once leaves are out chances of success go down. Dig them when dormant for best success. Second season would be after gfowth has largely hardened off in early - middle August through to 6 weeks befor first frost, in my area, Sept 15. This second season is NOT as good as dormant collecting, maybe only 25% of success rate. But it is one other possibility.

Collect dormant and you can be brutal with root reduction and chopping back.

 

[Nwaite]

Nice to hear. Ours have just started leafing out but I'll grab a few early next spring. Thanks for the info.

 

[Gene Deci]

Man....the title should have been...

Roots and More!

Like flare, trunkage, a decent branching pattern with nice proportions, decent taper....

Could clearly be better but thanks for noticing. Here it is repotted.

 

[Cypress187]

My lilac is also indestructable.

 

[sorce]

Damn!

There was a sick nebari under there too!

Dope!

Sorce

 

[Alain]

I don’t know of another species that grows such densely packed roots or is so forgiving of neglect.

Try Trumpet Vine for fun


Nice lilac!

I just dug out a 1/2 foot large one from our yard a couple of weeks ago, planted it in a pot with close to no roots whatsoever and it is budding all over the place.
I wait to see if it's not the 'energy of death' promoting some buds before the total exhaustion of the remaining stored food and I post a thread.

 

[j evans]

That is really nice. Less care better tree. That's what I need. Thanks for sharing.

Jamie