What's Growing in the Garden

[Fencemender]

Something is going on with my Lilac bush. It's a very old bush of my Mom and I transplanted it many years ago. It thrived and got as tall as the house. This Winter/Spring I pruned about 2-3 feet off the top. Planned on cutting it back more next Spring. I bloomed a little and had plenty of leaves. Now the leaves are turning brown and dropping. I have bare branches that some of them look dead. Did I prune it too much? Any help for the bush?

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I don’t think it was pruning. There is something going on but I have not looked into it yet.
Last fall here in Massachusetts we had many lilacs look terrible. Leaves all turned brown, fell off way before they should have in the fall.
Mine came back this spring but obviously weakened with lots of dead branches, few blossoms.
Just last week I drove by a house and realized the lilacs looked awful. They looked similar to last fall. Very dark/black leaves and very few leaves left. I’m interested in what others may already know. But now I’m gonna look into this more as well.

 

[trc65]

Something is going on with my Lilac bush. It's a very old bush of my Mom and I transplanted it many years ago. It thrived and got as tall as the house. This Winter/Spring I pruned about 2-3 feet off the top. Planned on cutting it back more next Spring. I bloomed a little and had plenty of leaves. Now the leaves are turning brown and dropping. I have bare branches that some of them look dead. Did I prune it too much? Any help for the bush?

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Generally, you can remove up to about 1/3 of a lilac each year. When pruning, focus on anything overgrown, too tall and the larger thick branches. Cut them back to the ground.

Regular pruning stimulates new growth. If your lilac is healthy, only prune in spring after blooming finishes as lilacs bloom on year old growth. If you prune/shape now, you are cutting off next year's blossoms.

If your lilac needs renovation, best done in spring, but doing it this time of year won't kill the plant, just won't have blooms next year.

Problems that I've seen with large sections dying out are often related to overgrown bases with large branches, and dead plant material packed tight. That prevents new shoots from developing and may cause rot and decay of existing growth. Best thing you can do for lilacs annually is to keep the crown area cleaned out. Dead branches and fall leaf accumulation needs to go.

A few years ago, I had a couple lilacs that were in terrible condition, and I just took a chainsaw and cut the them off at ground level. Took hours digging out the rot and debris. Took a couple years, but they are now beautiful shrubs again. Wouldn't recommend doing that, but lilacs can handle a lot more pruning than you think they can.

 

[djg]

Generally, you can remove up to about 1/3 of a lilac each year. When pruning, focus on anything overgrown, too tall and the larger thick branches. Cut them back to the ground.

Regular pruning stimulates new growth. If your lilac is healthy, only prune in spring after blooming finishes as lilacs bloom on year old growth. If you prune/shape now, you are cutting off next year's blossoms.

If your lilac needs renovation, best done in spring, but doing it this time of year won't kill the plant, just won't have blooms next year.

Problems that I've seen with large sections dying out are often related to overgrown bases with large branches, and dead plant material packed tight. That prevents new shoots from developing and may cause rot and decay of existing growth. Best thing you can do for lilacs annually is to keep the crown area cleaned out. Dead branches and fall leaf accumulation needs to go.

A few years ago, I had a couple lilacs that were in terrible condition, and I just took a chainsaw and cut the them off at ground level. Took hours digging out the rot and debris. Took a couple years, but they are now beautiful shrubs again. Wouldn't recommend doing that, but lilacs can handle a lot more pruning than you think they can.

I mowed around the transplants today and I noticed one or both is dropping leaves. Too late for some type of fertilizer? What type?

 

[Mike Hill]

The winter/spring pruning is not the problem. If you'd have said possibly late summer/fall pruning, then maybe the new growth before frost might not have hardened off a dn may have died out. They are long-lived and pretty stout plants. I dug a couple of 40 year old lilacs and put them in big pots (did not have a place for them at the time) and they've done well. Something is happening though. About half, maybe more of my oak leaf hydrangeas (OLH) have quite a bit of die back this year. Most of those OLH are 40 years old and maybe the old branches are just worn out as there seems to be new growth from the base. As I drive around, I see a lot of dead trees in places. Sometimes here and there, but quite a few times a whole patch or a whole treeline is dead. We've had a combination of less rain and early killing freezes and that may have been the cause. And the last few years at the end of summer and into fall, there has been a massive amount of mildew on leaves of all kinds. Maybe that has contributed do our kill-off. Maybe it is too many californians and new yorkers moving in. I dunno! Had 3 10' chamaecyparis planted around the front door. About half the foiliage on two just decided to brown off and I had to replace them this year. - have no idea why - no bag worms or anything that I could see.

 

[trc65]

I mowed around the transplants today and I noticed one or both is dropping leaves. Too late for some type of fertilizer? What type?

I wouldn't fertilize now. That can stimulate too much top growth at the expense of roots. Additionally, new top growth may not harden off in time before a freeze. Just make sure they have adequate water until the ground freezes. Even if the tops completely die off, don't give up on them. It's amazing what will grow from the roots when everything above ground dies.

On one of my overgrown and dying lilacs, I just cut them off with a chainsaw flush to the ground. Had many sprouts that came up to help next spring and ~5 years later it is a nice big lilac again.

A rule of thumb is not to fertilize any woody ornamental after July 1. Many also recommend no, or very little fertilizer for woody transplants in the first year. The exception to that is fertilizing with a very low or no nitrogen fertilizer. Potassium and phosphorus only to support root growth.

@Mike Hill I've had a lot of strange things happen to woody ornamentals as well in the last couple of years. Just now have 1/4 of a burning bush turn brown and die. I would guess a borer of some type, but haven't had time to do an autopsy.

Also as you mentioned, lots of powdery mildew on various things. There are fungicides one could use to prevent that, but I don't bother. Just accept it as part of the cycle. It's never been bad enough to kill off anything, so for me, not a big deal.

 

[djg]

We've been getting too much rain. I'll probably pay for it later though for saying it. I sprayed my squash plants today and then it rained. I guess I'll be spraying again tomorrow. I got to the squash too late and they are invested with the beetles. I'll probably loose most of them. Does the spray kill on contact?
I noticed another of my newly planted red raspberry plants and a rose bush has brown/dying leaves. I don't know what's going on. Plenty of rain but really hot weather too.

 

[trc65]

On the bushes, probably just foliar disease. Heat plus moisture equals disease infection.

On the beetles/squash, it all depends on what chemical you sprayed. Some may kill on contact, others need to be consumed, some act both ways. Look on the bottle for the active ingredient and I can tell you all about it.

 

[djg]

On the bushes, probably just foliar disease. Heat plus moisture equals disease infection.

On the beetles/squash, it all depends on what chemical you sprayed. Some may kill on contact, others need to be consumed, some act both ways. Look on the bottle for the active ingredient and I can tell you all about it.

I'm using an old bottle of Sevin (22.5% carbaryl). I mix at a rate of 1 ounce/gallon and spray liberally on the stalks and leaves. I stay away from the flowers. I try to get the underside of the leaves as well but sometimes it's not possible.

The vertical cattle panel trellis is working. I have several squash hanging from it. But I will converting to a hoop trellis next year. Be more supportive and easier to train/spray.

Has anyone ever mis-marked a seed pot while starting you plants? I did. Thought I had planted a blue Hubbard which I just let sprawl over the ground due their size, and I noticed it's a Zuchetta. Which is fine. More heavy producing.

 

[trc65]

Carbaryl is an oldie but goodie. It's a nervous system insecticide that is both absorbed through touch and ingestion. Also very toxic to bees, so keep it away from blossoms like you are doing. (General FYI for anyone who didn't know this).

If the carbaryl isn't working as well as you want, might pick up some general garden insect control that has a synthetic pyrethroid. Bifenthrin, cypermethrin, zeta cypermethrin, pyrethrin, etc. they are also a nervous system disrupter, but different mode of action from the carbaryl. Act through touch and ingestion, but are faster acting than carbaryl. They are also toxic to bees, so spray when bees aren't present and keep spray away from blossoms.

 

[trc65]

Pears are coming along nicely and may actually have a crop this year if they don't all blow off in a late summer storm.

Bartlett's are getting huge especially as they have a good month and a half before they are ripe.





This variety is Starking Delicious, a Bartlett type, but it has never sized up like them. Still very tasty though. They are a little later harvest than the Bartletts.

 

[Mike Hill]

!

 

[Mike Hill]

Ok, no one else will have the guts or the crassness that I have, so will just go on and say it. That first pear is one mighty shapely pear!

 

[trc65]

Ok, no one else will have the guts or the crassness that I have, so will just go on and say it. That first pear is might shapely!

I knew that was the picture to post when I was looking through them!

I also knew that if anyone noticed and commented on the shapely pear, you would be at or near the top of the list.

 

[Mike Hill]

I knew that was the picture to post when I was looking through them!

I also knew that if anyone noticed and commented on the shapely pear, you would be at or near the top of the list.

Moi?

 

[Arn213]

I knew that was the picture to post when I was looking through them!

I also knew that if anyone noticed and commented on the shapely pear, you would be at or near the top of the list.

He must have a fascination into Rubens and Butero’s in lieu of classical proportions…….pear/pair it up

 

[Ray D]

Anyone here ever use one of those tumbler style compost bins? I currently have a 4 ft square wooden compost area but I’m thinking of trying a tumbler style.

 

[Nature Man]

Anyone here ever use one of those tumbler style compost bins? I currently have a 4 ft square wooden compost area but I’m thinking of trying a tumbler style.

I used to compost just on the ground. Important thing is to mix it up periodically. I also added chicken manure to it to help out. Took about 18 months to turn grass & leaves into soil, in my case. Chuck

 

[Ray D]

I used to compost just on the ground. Important thing is to mix it up periodically. I also added chicken manure to it to help out. Took about 18 months to turn grass & leaves into soil, in my case. Chuck

I currently compost on the ground but I get lazy and rarely turn it. lol. One of the reasons I’m considering the tumbler style.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

I stack layers of chicken waste and yard waste about 24 to 30 inches deep and just let it stand for about 2 years. I always seem to have extra chicken waste. Benefit of having 40 or so chickens

 

[trc65]

Anyone here ever use one of those tumbler style compost bins? I currently have a 4 ft square wooden compost area but I’m thinking of trying a tumbler style.

I haven't used one, but I know others who have. They generally like them, but take a little more attention due to the fact that they are up in the air and may heat and dry out more quickly. Other side of that is they also compost more quickly.