ASK PROFESSIONAL Welcome to My weekly series! THE Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 26 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! Dear Linda - my Lilac bush will not blossom. It is two years old and had good blossoms when planted. Can you help? Thank you ... Mary Hi Mary, Several things could be going on. Lilacs need fertilization and pruning at very specific times of year. When you fertilize, use a slow release, organic fertilizer like Flowertone at the end of March only (1x/year) to provide the nutrients needed to produce flowers. When you prune, do it right after the lilac blooms; never in the fall. If you prune in the fall, the flower buds will be cut off for the following spring. Make sure the mulch is not piled up onto the stem of the shrub which smothers and stresses the plant. Stressed plants will not put their energy into making flowers. Also, make sure there is a mulch ring around the base of the plant which will keep lawn and weeds away from the roots of the shrub and will also keep the soil cool and moist. It takes 3-5 years for a shrub to be established. Established means there are enough roots below ground to support the above ground leaves and stems of the shrub. A plant will not flower very much if it is not fully established. It takes a lot of energy to make flowers. In the first years of growth, It may put out one or two flowers but most of the energy will go towards growing roots. The shrub needs to be watered during the establishment period especially during the summer when there is not a lot of rainfall. Once the plant is established, watering is not necessary. Once the plant has a robust root system to support the plant, it will start to produce flowers. Good Luck. Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET ASK PROFESSIONAL Welcome to My weekly series ! THE Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 26 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! Dear Linda - my Lilac bush will not blossom . It is two years old and had good blossoms when planted . Can you help ? Thank you ... Mary Hi Mary , Several things could be going on . Lilacs need fertilization and pruning at very specific times of year . When you fertilize , use a slow release , organic fertilizer like Flowertone at the end of March only ( 1x / year ) to provide the nutrients needed to produce flowers . When you prune , do it right after the lilac blooms ; never in the fall . If you prune in the fall , the flower buds will be cut off for the following spring . Make sure the mulch is not piled up onto the stem of the shrub which smothers and stresses the plant . Stressed plants will not put their energy into making flowers . Also , make sure there is a mulch ring around the base of the plant which will keep lawn and weeds away from the roots of the shrub and will also keep the soil cool and moist . It takes 3-5 years for a shrub to be established . Established means there are enough roots below ground to support the above ground leaves and stems of the shrub . A plant will not flower very much if it is not fully established . It takes a lot of energy to make flowers . In the first years of growth , It may put out one or two flowers but most of the energy will go towards growing roots . The shrub needs to be watered during the establishment period especially during the summer when there is not a lot of rainfall . Once the plant is established , watering is not necessary . Once the plant has a robust root system to support the plant , it will start to produce flowers . Good Luck . Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR ! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET