Contents
Feeding lilacs in the spring is a must. Although the culture is considered wild, soil nutrition is the key to long and bright flowering. Fertilize the bush is required throughout the season.
Why you need to feed the lilac
Ornamental shrub – unpretentious plant. Undemanding to the composition of the soil, able to grow on any land. Tolerates cold well. However, to get a lush flowering, it is necessary to fertilize the lilac. The bush itself can grow, of course, but there will be no bright inflorescences.
Benefits of regular lilac nutrition:
- active growth;
- the formation of large flowers;
- saturated color;
- increased resistance to fungal, viral diseases;
- high frost resistance.
Rapid development and abundant flowering depend on the content of mineral components in the soil. Therefore, it is worth fertilizing lilacs from spring to autumn.
What dressings are suitable for lilacs
Garden culture responds well to almost all nutrients. The composition and number of top dressings depend on the age, size of the bush, condition, soil composition, seasonality, climatic conditions.
Organic
Lilac needs organic matter, as it improves the structure, insulates the soil, and promotes the development of beneficial microflora. Organic components contain micro and macro elements in optimal proportions for shrubs.
The lack of natural elements in the soil provokes yellowing and twisting of the leaves, the roots suffer, the inflorescences noticeably decrease in size. As nutritional supplements choose:
- manure;
- humus;
- bird droppings;
- compost;
- peat.
Mineral
Nitrogen activates the formation of chlorophyll, the appearance of organic compounds in the foliage, helps in the process of photosynthesis. The substance stimulates seedlings to rapid rooting and growth.
Potassium increases the resistance of the plant to diseases, adverse weather conditions, and promotes painless recovery after transplantation.
Phosphorus is responsible for metabolic processes, provides access to oxygen and minerals. Phosphorus affects cell division and bush growth.
Dolomite flour, limestone, chalk – top dressing obtained by processing lime rocks. They are used to normalize the acidity of the soil.
Complex
There are complex compounds that include several mineral components at once: nitrophoska, ammophos, molybdates. These chemical elements are safe for shrubs and soil.
Wood ash can be attributed to complex fertilizers. It contains over 30 useful elements. Ashes feed both garden and horticultural crops. The substance is well combined with organic matter.
How to fertilize lilac after planting
Light, well-drained soil is suitable for lilacs, which will allow water and air to be delivered to the roots without delay. During the planting of seedlings, the soil is fertilized. Mineral and organic substances are introduced into the recess:
- Drainage from gravel, small stones.
- Dolomite flour, lime, if the earth is acidic.
- To regulate air and water permeability, sand is added to clay soil, and clay is added to sandy soil.
- Fall asleep a mixture of organic matter: humus and manure in equal parts.
- Superphosphate – 500 g, potassium sulfate – 150 g, bone meal – 300 g.
- The next layer is a bucket of fertile soil.
- All components are thoroughly mixed.
- After planting, be sure to mulch the bush with peat, dry leaves, sawdust, hay, needles.
If the culture grows slowly, then the root system is developing poorly. In this case, the seedling needs to be fed with organic matter 2 times in the spring-summer season.
How to fertilize lilacs in spring
Spring care for lilacs involves fertilizing with mineral and organic substances. Fertilize begins immediately after the snow cover melts. In mid-March, the bush awakens, buds are laid. The formation will help a solution of mullein in proportions of 1:10. In the absence of this component, manure, compost, bird droppings are used. Depending on the size, 1-3 buckets of nutrient fluid are enough for one bush.
The soil under the lilac is loosened to a depth of 6-7 cm, and then the mixture is poured. After that, the near-stem circle is mulched with hay and straw. So natural components will contribute to the preservation of useful trace elements in the soil.
Organic fertilizers are also applied in dry form. Then they perform not only the functions of top dressing, but also mulch. On average, 10-25 kg of dry humus is consumed per lilac bush.
Feeding lilacs with mineral preparations occurs in the spring, when the shoots begin to grow. It’s somewhere in the middle of April. Fertilize the soil with nitrogen, which lilacs need for active growth, long and lush flowering. Gardeners are recommended to use ammonium nitrate in the amount of 80 g per bush or urea, 50 g. It is necessary to re-feed with nitrogen-containing preparations with the onset of May.
In addition, during budding, lilacs can be fertilized with wood ash. It contains enough useful elements for the full formation of buds. Ash weighing 200 g is dissolved in 10 liters of water. For an adult bush, 1 bucket of nutrient fluid is enough.
How to feed lilacs in spring for lush flowering
When the inflorescences have formed, the lilac should be fed with nitrogen-containing preparations for the last time in the spring. Gardeners use ammonium nitrate for lush flowering, as well as potash and phosphorus complex agents.
In the phase of the appearance of flowers, the ground is already covered with grass, therefore, before fertilizing, the near-stem circle must be cleared and the soil loosened. Around the same time, bright green beetles appear on the inflorescences and feed on the delicate petals. As a result, lilac looks unattractive. Beetles must be collected in a timely manner.
Features of feeding lilacs after flowering
When the lilac has faded, the life process stops, the plant rests. However, young bushes need to be watered once every two weeks. Adults that are over 1-4 years old do not need frequent watering, otherwise the roots may rot. They are more drought tolerant than young ones.
Withered inflorescences are removed with a sharp pruner. If you leave them on the bush, then the lilac will spend a lot of energy on the formation of fruits. This will negatively affect further vegetation and flowering next year.
At the end of July, lilacs should be fed without waiting for autumn. However, it is undesirable to use nitrogen. Potassium and phosphorus preparations are mainly used. They have a positive effect on the root system. You can feed with ash compounds that nourish the plant well. The amount of fertilizer for one lilac bush:
- potassium – 25-30 g;
- phosphorus – 50 g;
- potassium compounds – 30 g.
Lilacs are fed with a frequency of 1 time in 3 years.
How and what can you feed lilacs in autumn
With the advent of autumn, lilac care activities do not cease to be carried out. It was at this time that the complex nutrition of the shrub is the second most important. In autumn, lilacs require fertilizing with fertilizers at the maximum dosage. Thus, it will be possible to restore the composition of the soil.
It is not recommended to use nitrogen-containing preparations before winter, as they can provoke the growth of young shoots before frost. It will be useful to thin out the bush, make sanitary pruning.
In autumn, it is preferable to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. But don’t add everything at the same time. Dosages to use the same as in the spring. You can only feed with organic matter: chicken manure, manure, mullein, humus. The volume of nutrient solution per 1 sq. m. is 15-20 liters.
Gardeners recommend using dry organic fertilizers. They are laid under a bush after the last watering before winter. A layer of mulch will help retain moisture, protect the roots from frost, and will feed the plant in a dosed manner. The amount of organic matter for one plant is 10-20 kg.
Foliar top dressing of lilac
The plant also prefers foliar treatments. As a rule, such top dressing of lilacs is carried out in summer and autumn. For a flowering bush, the preparation “Agricola” is suitable. A micronutrient solution is prepared as follows:
- the contents of the package 25 g are dissolved in a bucket of warm water;
- pour the nutrient mixture into a spray container;
- carefully process all the leaves.
Instead of ready-made fertilizer, you can make the composition yourself. To do this, you need 1 g of copper sulfate, 5 g of manganese, 2 g of zinc sulfate and the same amount of ammonium molybdate. The amount of powder is calculated for 10 liters of water. The solution is enough to process several lilac bushes.
How to fertilize correctly
Before fertilizing lilacs, the site should be cleared of weeds and excess growth. Weed the near-stem circle and loosen it to a depth of 8-10 cm. At the same time, try to do everything carefully so as not to hurt the root system of the shrub.
Gardeners usually feed lilacs in the spring with minerals dissolved in water or nutrients in a dry state. The mixture is not poured directly under the trunk, but a groove is made that runs along the perimeter of the bush. The distance from the center is 50 cm. Dry substances are buried to a depth of 7-8 cm.
To obtain a luxurious flowering of lilacs, do not neglect the dosages. It is important to follow the instructions and feed in moderation so as not to provoke an excess of nutrients. Otherwise, contrary to expectations, an overfed plant noticeably weakens, immunity and resistance to diseases decrease. Subsequently, the bush may be subject to viral and fungal infections, parasite attacks. An overdose of nitrogen-containing drugs can provoke:
- sunburn;
- bark damage;
- bole rot;
- chlorosis;
- defeat by a scale insect, a worm.
Lilacs will become exposed to weather conditions, the frost resistance index will decrease. Frost cracks may appear, which in turn will lead to poor wintering.
You have to be careful with organic fertilizers. It is better to add more water so that the solution is not too concentrated. Such a mixture can burn tender roots, and destroy the plant.
Conclusion
You need to feed the lilac in the spring immediately after the snow melts and follow the diet throughout the season. Rich in humus, light, nutritious soil will be the best environment for bearing ornamental shrubs. The quality of lilac flowering directly depends on the presence of useful elements in the composition of the soil.
