How to Propagate Lilacs? Detailed Guide to Seeding, Cutting and Layering Methods
Lilac is a fairly well-known flower with high ornamental value, and people in every region of our country grow it, so how to propagate lilacs has also become a question people care about. What are the propagation methods for lilacs? Let me walk you through them below.
I. How to Propagate Lilacs
As for how to propagate lilacs, there are actually roughly three methods: seed propagation, cutting propagation and layering propagation. As long as the methods are mastered correctly, the success rate is still quite high. Below is a detailed explanation of these three lilac propagation methods for you to look over.
II. Lilac Propagation Methods
1. Seed Propagation
a: Soil Selection
When sowing lilac seeds, the choice of soil is very important. Generally it is best to choose fairly fertile sandy soil, since this kind of soil drains well, allows lilacs to absorb nutrients better, and can greatly increase the survival rate.
b: Sowing Method
Among lilac propagation methods, seed propagation is the most commonly used one. First we need to level the soil in the pot, then evenly scatter the lilac seeds over the soil, then cover with about 2cm of soil and water. When watering, it is best to water thoroughly in one go. This basically completes the sowing, and generally after letting it sit for half a month the seedlings will emerge.
2. Cutting Propagation
a: Choosing Cuttings
When doing cutting propagation, choosing the cuttings is very important. It is best to choose robustly growing branches for cuttings, as the survival rate will be higher. If you choose rather slender, weak branches, they are generally very hard to keep alive, so everyone should pay attention to this point.
b: Cutting Method
When taking cuttings, first we need to use a chopstick to poke a hole in the soil, then insert the cutting into the hole and press the soil flat, then water it. Generally about one month after the cuttings are finished they will root, and afterwards you just carry out follow-up care.
3. Layering Propagation
Layering propagation is a relatively uncommon one among lilac propagation methods, but as long as the method is correct the survival rate is still quite high. When doing layering propagation, first we need to make a cut at the point where the branch is pressed down, then press it into the soil, and then water thoroughly. Generally after about 2-3 months it will root.
How to Propagate Lilacs: Cutting, Sowing and Grafting Methods
How to Propagate Lilacs 1. Cutting Propagation MethodLilac cuttings can be taken in July and August each year. Cutting propagation can use softwood cuttings or hardwood cuttings. First choose thick, strong branches of the current year, cut them into cuttings about 15cm long, insert them into a prepared seedbed, shade them appropriately, keep them moist, and they will root in about 50 days. If before inserting you quickly treat the cuttings with 500μg/g indolebutyric acid, the cutting rooting rate can reach over 80%. After the cuttings survive, transplant them in the spring of the second year. Hardwood cuttings require collecting the shoots in autumn, storing them in sand in the open ground, and inserting them into the seedbed the following spring.
2. Seed Propagation MethodLilac sowing is generally done in spring. In addition, before sowing in spring, soak the seeds in clean water for 1-2 days, or soak them in 40-50℃ warm water for 1-2h, then remove them and mix with sand (1 part seeds, 2 parts sand) to hasten germination, keeping them moist. After about 1 week (early April) they can be sown in the seedbed. After sowing, cover with 1cm of soil, keep moist at all times, and the seedlings can emerge in late April. After emergence, timely thin the seedlings, cultivate the soil, weed, water and fertilize, and they can be divided and planted the following spring.
3. Layering Propagation MethodFor lilac layering propagation, it is more suitable to do it in February each year. First press the branches at the base of the lilac into the soil; if the basal branch is too thick you can wound it before pressing. After pressing, keep the soil moist. Generally they can root in 2-3 months, and in the autumn of the same year you can separate them from the mother plant and plant them elsewhere.
4. Grafting Propagation MethodLilac grafting can be divided into bud grafting or scion grafting. Bud grafting is better done in July, while scion grafting is better done before budding in early spring. The rootstock used for grafting is generally privet, water wax, fringetree, lilac, etc. Privet rootstock sprouts easily and should be cut off at any time, otherwise after several years it will still be privet rather than lilac.
5. Division Propagation MethodLilac division propagation is generally done before budding in early spring or after leaf fall in autumn. Dig out the suckers at the base of the lilac plant together with their roots and plant them separately, or dig out the whole clump and divide it into clusters for planting. Division in autumn requires heeling in first and transplanting the following spring. Before planting, appropriately prune the above-ground branches.
How to Care for Lilacs? How to Propagate Lilacs?
When lilacs are mentioned, everyone is familiar with them. They are a common flowering shrub with elegant flowers and a fragrant scent, often planted in courtyards. This article focuses on introducing lilac propagation methods and care methods for the reference and study of flower lovers.Lilacs are usually propagated by cuttings, and the specific method is as follows:
Lilac cuttings are taken from robust 1- to 2-year-old branches as cuttings, inserted directly into a hotbed so that they take root and sprout to form a new plant. Usually, one month after the flowers fade in spring, the terminal branches are cut for cuttings. The cuttings are 10cm to 15cm long, with 2 to 3 pairs of buds, one pair of which is buried in the soil. At 25℃, they root in 30 to 40 days. When the young roots turn from white to yellow-brown, begin transplanting the seedlings for planting.
1. Scion Grafting Method
Generally carried out before budding in early spring. The scion is 8cm to 10cm long, with 2 pairs of buds, and the lower two sides of the scion are cut into slanted surfaces. The rootstock is a 1- to 2-year-old lilac seedling. Cut off the top at 5cm to 10cm above the ground, then split a slit vertically downward from the cut surface of the rootstock, and then insert the scion. The slanted surface of the scion must fit tightly with the rootstock, and it should be tied well with plastic strips. To prevent excessive water loss at the grafting cut, it can be covered with moist soil, and after the buds on the scion sprout, remove the covering soil.
2. Bud Grafting Method
In Beijing and North China, it is mostly done in early August. The scion should be a plump leaf bud from a robust branch of the current year, and the rootstock is a 1- to 2-year-old lilac seedling. When grafting, the leaves on the scion should be cut off, leaving only the leaf stalk, then make a horizontal cut 1cm above the bud, then from 1cm to 1.5cm below the bud cut upward flatly, and peel off the xylem inside the cortex. Make a horizontal cut on the rootstock 5cm to 10cm above the ground, then from the middle of the cut make a vertical cut about 3cm long downward, making it into a "T" shape, then gently peel the bark open, insert the scion into the "T" opening, and the scion and rootstock must fit tightly together, finally tying it with plastic film strips. Two to three weeks after bud grafting, if the leaf stalk on the scion falls off naturally, it means the bud has survived, and at this point the plastic strips can be removed.
3. Approach Grafting Method
This is cutting an interface of the same size on both the lilac scion and the rootstock, and tying the two tightly together. When the cut produces callus tissue, cut off the top branch of the rootstock 1cm above the interface, and cut off the scion 1cm below the interface, so that it becomes a new plant.
In addition, lilacs can also be propagated by sowing, layering and division. For superior lilac varieties, shoot-tip tissue culture can also be used for seedling propagation.
Key Points and Precautions for Lilac Care:
1. Lilac prefers a tropical island climate; the climate of its native region has the characteristics of an equatorial rainforest climate, with a minimum monthly average temperature of 21℃.
2. When the extreme low temperature reaches 3℃, it can cause the lilac plant to die.
3. For lilac cultivation, it is advisable to choose neutral soil; avoid acidic soil, and avoid waterlogging and damp heat.
4. Lilacs do not like heavy fertilizer; do not fertilize too much, otherwise flowering will be affected.
5. The main pests of lilacs are aphids, bagworms and stinging moths. They can be controlled by spraying 800-**** times 40% dimethoate emulsion or 1000 times 25% phosmet emulsion.
Summary: The above is an introduction to lilac care knowledge. I hope everyone will exchange lilac growing experience more.