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What's up with my lilac? Not dead, just pretending?

berkolilberkolil Posts: 7
in Problem solving

Hi all, my lilac bloomed last year for the first tme and this year budded up nicely. But it has stopped dead, the buds haven't broken, it's just sitting there. I've scratched the bark and it's green underneath. All my neighbour's lilacs are in full bloom.

There is a hazel tree very close to it, in fact it's quite a crowded little corner. (I take a laisser faire approach until things go wrong!! 

Anyone experienced this, or have a clue what's going on? 

Thanks all.

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,211

    Hi berkolil. Its difficult to say without a picture to show just crowded the corner is. It could simply be that there is not enough food for all of the plants.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    Hi Ladybird4,

    Thanks for reponding so fast!

    I guessed someone would say that image this is my first posting, so I will go take a piccie and try and figure out how to upload it. This could take some time...

  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    The lilac is sort of in the middle, hazel tree to the right of pic. The green leaves behind the lilac belong to a beech which I forgot about, I have tried to kill it many times. There is also a clematis growing through the lilac and the hazel which isn't hurting it  at the mo, but I'm pondering what to do wit it.

    image

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,211

    I think its definitely a case of overcrowding! When you talk of trying to kill the beech, how exactly. I'm only asking as whatever you did may have impacted on the lilac.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    I haven't been mean to the beech since I planted the lilac (apart from hacking it down from time to time image) so it won't be that. Although now you mention it, my OH gave the grass a generous (!) dose of weed feed and moss killer this spring. I don't want to lose the hazel, it came as a seedling from my old house, so do you think I could transplant the lilac? 

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,211

    That could be quite a difficult job considering that quite a few roots could be entangled but nothing ventured nothing gained. The best time to attempt this is in the autumn when the tree is dormant. Keep everything well fed through the summer (every 2-3 weeks) and then make your attempt. If it were me I would sacrifice the lilac in favour of the lovely memories associated around the hazel but only after giving the lilac the chance through the summer to show some signs of recovery.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    Thank you ladybird4, that sounds like good advice. I'm curious to see if the blessed thing is ever going to leaf up! I'll report back if it does.

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,211

    Good stuff! Look forward to hearing good news, fingers crossed.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    Update image 

    Things have taken a sinister turn sadly. The lilac is now cut down to 6 inches ! The buds had begun to blacken, and the whole thing was starting to look dry. I pulled a bud off and there was blackening inside too. After some googling I found a disease called lilac bacterial blight which matches the symptoms, but seems to be more an American problem.

    Then I looked more closely at surrounding plants and discovered that a winter honeysuckle nearby was also dying back.

    That's when the loppers came out!

  • berkolilberkolil Posts: 7

    Forgot to update, but the lilac had honey fungus when I dug it up. Probably from the massive maple tree that was taken down in next door's garden image

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