Ways to “bring back” your lilacs are not unlike getting them going. This is from the Planting tips, above, edited to suit your needs:
Grow lilacs in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (at a pH near 7.0). If your soil is in poor condition, add compost to enrich. DITTO for poor plants: Improve the soil, sprinkle with some lime to raise pH, if needed (check to see).
Select a site where your lilac will get full sun—at least 6 hours. If lilacs don’t get enough sun, they will not bloom well. DITTO for poor plants: have trees or buildings begun shading your lilac?
Make sure the site drains well. Lilacs don’t like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water. DITTO for poor plants. If you improve the soil (see first bullet here), also “wake it up” but raking/scratching it to loosen it and allow new additives to reach the roots.
This is from the Care tips above, edited:
Each spring, apply a layer of compost under the plant, followed by mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. HEREWEGOAGAIN! see above
Water during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. AREYOUDOINGTHIS?
Lilacs won’t bloom if they’re overfertilized. They can handle a handful of 10-10-10 in late winter, but no more. TOOLATENOWFORTHATBUTMAKE A NOTE.
After your lilac bush has finished blooming, spread some lime and well-rotted manure around the base. Trim the bush to shape it, and remove suckers at the same time. NOTETHISONYOURCALENDAR, TOO. Per the advice above, a little lime—note, a “sprinkle” now—will not harm the plants.
As for pruning, it’s still early, still spring. See the advice above. (Yes, prune now.)
Ways to “bring back” your lilacs are not unlike getting them going. This is from the Planting tips, above, edited to suit your needs:
This is from the Care tips above, edited:
As for pruning, it’s still early, still spring. See the advice above. (Yes, prune now.)