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How to Divide Lilac Bushes
How to Divide Lilac Bushes. Helpfulgardener.com states that lilacs are low-maintenance plants that are drought and pest resistant, requiring little else but good drainage and yearly fertilizing. Runners grow from the "mother" plant and produce shoots that can be dug up and divided for replanting. This type of propagation works well for lilacs,...
Helpfulgardener.com states that lilacs are low-maintenance plants that are drought and pest resistant, requiring little else but good drainage and yearly fertilizing. Runners grow from the "mother" plant and produce shoots that can be dug up and divided for replanting. This type of propagation works well for lilacs, which are fast-growing plants. Removing these extra canes from the mother encourages her to grow stronger and larger with more blossoms.
Things You'll Need
Shovel
Rake
Compost
Water
Dividing
Divide shoots and runners from a mature lilac plant in early or mid-spring before flower buds are showing.
Dig around the new shoot until you find its roots and the runner it grew from. Remove the shoot by chopping it out of the ground with your shovel and severing the connection between the runner and the mother plant.
Refill the holes around the lilac plant and smooth the disturbed soil with a rake.
Water the lilac thoroughly and add a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic mulch around the plant to enrich the soil and keep the moisture in.
Transplanting
Prepare the hole for replanting before you divide the lilac shoot from the mother plant. Dig a hole approximately 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide for each shoot you wish to plant.
Choose a shoot that is approximately 8 to 14 inches tall for the most successful transplanting.
Center the newly divided cane into the hole and fill it in with soil. Use excess soil to build a circular "well" around the plant to hold in water.
Water the new planting thoroughly and keep it evenly moist throughout the spring. Once it is well established a lilac needs only moderate watering.
Tips & Warnings
Place divided canes that will not be planted immediately in a bucket filled with tepid water. Store the bucket out of the sun and the shoots will remain viable up to 48 hours.
