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1:39 pm
January 23, 2012
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Ok, I have a question.
What do you do when a shrub won't bloom? I have a 4 year old old-fashioned lilac that refuses to bloom. It gets buds…lots of them…but the buds never open. I am beginning to fear that it gets too much shade, but if it does, they why does it develop such nice buds? She (we name all our shrubs…this one's name is "Flossie") is healthy, gets no mildew or anything, sets nice, fat buds, but so far has not bloomed.
Thanks in advance, everyone 
2:43 pm
February 15, 2011
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Here is a link to a long article with several possibilities, too long to quote here. I hope one of the suggestions makes sense to you!
http://gardenersnet.com/lilac/…..ilac08.htm
2:46 pm
February 10, 2009
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It may be a bit young to flower well, though I'd think it wouldn't bud either… also, they like slightly alkaline soil, so if it's acidic that may interfere, and yeah, it could be not enough sun too, ours is in a too shady spot and I was told we needed 6 – 8 hours of sun. Hopefully that will be taken care of since we had a storm tear up our trees last summer! Poor light just caused skimpy flower plumes though, not buds refusing to open.
If you weren't getting buds, I'd say it was too much nitrogen. Too much fertilizer will prevent buds from forming at all though but you'll have great foliage, so it doesn't sound like that. It could also be drought conditions at JUST the wrong time too. Enough rain to form buds, then lack of water preventing them from opening…
Does this help or just make things worse? 
I'm sorry, I'm no pro, but these are things I've learned with our scrawny bush.
3:08 pm
January 23, 2012
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I think the problem is too little sun. The spot where she is gets sun early in the season, when she is setting buds, but then the shadow of the house gets in the way and shades her too much at blooming time. Well, that means we have to move her, because I WANT LILACS.
Thanks, folks…your input helped alot!
Btw, anybody want to come over and dig a really big hole when spring comes…? 
4:04 pm
December 14, 2010
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A very long time ago Liberty Hide Bailey said that you should dig a five dollar hole for a fifty cent tree. He was a go to nursery man around the year 1900.
4:15 pm
April 1, 2009
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Ross, when we first built this house, it was a corn feild, I myself planted most of the trees including a small orchard, and every one made fun of the size of holes I used to dig, it was not easy digging, but I kept thinking if I was a tree, I want to be able to let my feet spread out, not cramp up! Sounds silly, but I have planted 57 trees since we have lived here and they seem very happy.
9:12 am
November 9, 2010
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This is kind of on topic but off at the same time!
You named your shrub my MIL's name…haha! Sorry I had to laugh when I saw that!
10:43 am
January 23, 2012
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Actually, I'm delighted, mamaleigh.
We named her "Flossie" because its an old-fashioned name, and the flowers remind me of the bouffant, blue-rinsed hair that you still sometimes see on ladies of a certain age.
12:00 pm
February 10, 2009
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LOL When I'm old enough, I'm going to keep my hair dyed so it's pale lilac blue all the time!!!
12:34 pm
April 1, 2009
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Buckeye Girl, that makes for a very cute mind picture.
When I was a little girl, my first memories of one of my Aunts was her steel blue hair. She was always "just so" every one of ther steel blue hais in place, red lipstick, earrings always wore a dress and a pretty apron, always with ruffles. She was the June Cleaver of the 40's.
This has nothing to do with blooming shrubs, but was enjoyable!
5:55 pm
January 23, 2012
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I know this is waaaay off-topic, but I might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb:
we have a crab apple tree that we named "Edna", after Mrs. Crabbapple, from The Simpsons. Seriously.
Ok…I'll stop now.
9:05 pm
January 17, 2011
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"and every one made fun of the size of holes I used to dig, it was not easy digging, but I kept thinking if I was a tree, I want to be able to let my feet spread out, not cramp up! Sounds silly"
Not silly at all! To plant a tree, you should dig a hole wider than it is deep. You should be able to spread the roots in all directions. Think about this….how many mature trees that you have seen blown over, roots & all….how many had a "tap" root? Should not have been any. Once a tree is getting it's self established it sends out feeder roots in all directions that are just barely or only partically under soil. So you did it the "correct" way! Kudos to you!!!
11:32 am
December 27, 2008
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I think it's the sunlight too. I love lilacs and we have a lot of them! They don't bloom without enough sun.
I have moved two huge 14' ones before and it wasn't easy to get them out but still possible. They don't have a tap root. If it's still on the small side, it's not hard to lift. If you move it late fall or before it wakes up in the spring, it won't suffer transplant shock.
Dig the hole and fill it with water before putting the lilac roots in it. Then fill lit in. Keep it watered well for a few weeks after moving.
If you move it mid summer, it will probably lose all it's leaves and look dead for a season. This has happened to me a few times, but they always come back the following spring. Lilacs are very hard to kill! Just don't give up and toss it.
I want a 'Sensation' lilac! I think I'm going on a hunt for one this year.
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