Lilac tree problem

Olya2

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner in gardening. So I hope somebody can help me with some advice.

I always wanted to have a lilac plant, so when my husband and I bought our first house with a garden, first thing I did was ordering a lilac plant on Amazon. It wasn't cheap, I went for the nicest one I could find. It came looking strong and healthy, and we planted it in the spring. I was thrilled to see that it produced flowers in a couple of months!

However, the plants only lasted a week or so, and before they even fully opened, they suddenly turned brown and died (( the leaves also got brown edges and started curling. I tried watering the plant more, it didn't help.

I asked for advice in a gardening centre, but they weren't very helpful.

Could someone tell me what I should do? But I really hope this is something simple, as I have 2 kids, very little time and 0 experience...

Thank you,

Olya

Hortum-cretae

Unfortunately a lot of the plants bought on line have originally come from a non-local source. They may have travelled and not had the care due them. Your plants might have suffered, hung on as long as they could but succumbed to the stresses brought on, perhaps by having a poorly developed root system which couldn't support flowering and any new growth, or by previous lack of care. Do try again, but look for a pot-grown plant from a garden centre.  Check the root system is strongly round the pot without being just a mass of roots and nothing else.  Having said that, lilacs are tough plants and a little too much root in the pot only means they'll need a lot of water to ensure they don't dry out after planting. By a lot, I mean a bucket full at planting and possibly the same a week or so later, depending on the weather. Do not rely on a bit of rain. It is rarely enough to properly water newly planted trees and shrubs.

H-C 

Olya2

Hi Hortum-cretae and thanks for your response.

Do you mean that this plant is completely dead? It still seems alive, just leaves are not healthy, but I was hoping that I can just treat it somehow... Shame I can't find a way to attach a photo here.

Olya

Hortum-cretae says:

Unfortunately a lot of the plants bought on line have originally come from a non-local source. They may have travelled and not had the care due them. Your plants might have suffered, hung on as long as they could but succumbed to the stresses brought on, perhaps by having a poorly developed root system which couldn't support flowering and any new growth, or by previous lack of care. Do try again, but look for a pot-grown plant from a garden centre.  Check the root system is strongly round the pot without being just a mass of roots and nothing else.  Having said that, lilacs are tough plants and a little too much root in the pot only means they'll need a lot of water to ensure they don't dry out after planting. By a lot, I mean a bucket full at planting and possibly the same a week or so later, depending on the weather. Do not rely on a bit of rain. It is rarely enough to properly water newly planted trees and shrubs.

H-C 

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Redwing

Olay, have you been watering it regularly? All newly planted trees and shrubs should be given a weekly soaking. I also am generous with manure mulching which will have its nutrients washed in. Lilacs are quite slow to grow but hopefully you will be rewarded with more flowers next May.

Ladybird4

Amazon is a reliable company and whilst it does use other suppliers for some of its items, you will be covered if something is not up to standard after having bought through it. If the lilac continues to appear failing I would contact Amazon as soon as possible.

Did you untangle the rootball before planting in the ground and soak if for at least half an hour prior to planting?

Last edited: 11 August 2016 18:58:56

musher

The way you've described it olya . It sounds like lilac bacterial blight. And I'm afraid theres no remedy. I'm afraid theres no effective cure for it. Prune a side branch off If its brown in the centre The chances are its dead