When Does Lilac Bloom? A Detailed Guide to How Many Times It Blooms a Year and How Long the Blooming Period Lasts
Most lilacs are grown for ornamental purposes; the flowers of some species can be used to extract aromatic oil, and they are also nectar plants, while the wood is used for construction and furniture. When people mention lilacs, they will surely think of Tang Lei's song "Lilac," a beautiful flower with a faint touch of sorrow. So when does lilac bloom? How many times does it bloom a year? How long is the blooming period? Here is a detailed summary:
White lilac blooms from April to May.
Blue lilac blooms from April to May.
Littleleaf lilac blooms from late April to early May; and again from late July to early August in autumn.
Lilac (Syringa oblata) blooms from April to May, with purple flowers. Amur lilac blooms in June, with white flowers. Everblooming lilac blooms from May to October.
For all types of lilac, seedlings grown from seed can bloom only after 3-4 years, while those propagated by cuttings or layering can bloom 2-3 years after taking root.
Also note that lilacs do not like water more than ordinary flowers; plants of the genus Syringa also have fairly strong drought tolerance. For example: in the Beijing area, July to September is the rainy season, while the other months are the dry season, especially April to June, when the temperature rises rapidly from 10°C to around 28°C. At this time, the various lilacs are growing and blooming rapidly, yet rainfall is relatively low and evaporation surges to 230-280 mm, but as long as the plants are watered twice a month, the various lilacs can grow well and produce abundant flowers and lush foliage.
Lilac likes sunlight, tolerates slight shade, prefers moisture, dislikes waterlogging, is cold- and drought-tolerant, and generally does not need much watering. It requires fertile, well-drained sandy loam. If planted in a shady environment, the branches become slender and weak, the flower clusters are short and loose, and the flowers lack luster. If planted in poor, thin soil, it can still grow, but the flowers are few and sparse, and the growth is weak and spindly. Therefore, it should be planted in a sunny, fertile place with deep soil.
Notes on growing lilacs
1. During the young stage, windproofing work should be done before a typhoon arrives. Ropes and bamboo poles can be used to secure the trunk of the lilac plant to reduce the shaking of the lilac plant by the typhoon, thereby reducing damage.
2. In July, September and October each year, weed around the lilac plants and cover the plants with grass, but do not use a hoe to turn the soil, as this would damage the lilac roots. Weeds cut elsewhere on the forest land can be used as ground cover and also as green manure, replacing natural vegetation to cover the ground. Weeding should continue until the tree canopy closes and can suppress weed growth.
3. When planting large 3-4-year-old saplings, the aboveground branches should be heavily pruned after planting, that is, cutting the trunk at 30 cm above the ground. After cutting the trunk, strong branches will quickly grow, making the crown full, and abundant flowers will appear the following year.
4. Lilac likes sunlight, tolerates slight shade, prefers moisture, dislikes waterlogging, is cold- and drought-tolerant, and generally does not need much watering. It requires fertile, well-drained sandy loam. If planted in a shady environment, the branches become slender and weak, the flower clusters are short and loose, and the flowers lack luster. If planted in poor, thin soil, it can still grow, but the flowers are few and sparse, and the growth is weak and spindly. Therefore, it should be planted in a sunny, fertile place with deep soil.
5. In spring each year when the weather is dry, water thoroughly once each before and after the buds sprout and bloom. Lilac does not like heavy fertilizer, and excessive fertilization should be strictly avoided, otherwise it easily causes excessive vegetative growth and affects blooming. Generally, applying well-rotted compost once a year or every other year before winter is enough to replenish the nutrients in the soil. Only then will the lilac bloom normally.
6. Repot once every 2-3 years. When repotting, prune the root system, remove some old roots and overly long roots, remove 1B2 of the old soil, and replace it with new growing medium, so as to promote root development and lush foliage and abundant flowers.
In addition, in terms of watering, light, temperature, pests and diseases, we should also carefully tend and care for lilacs, otherwise it is very likely that we will not be able to admire the beautiful figure of lilacs when they bloom, which would be a great pity.