You can purchase bare-root or container-grown plants from a local nursery or mail order plant supply company. Your local garden center or nursery should be able to recommend lilac varieties that do best in your area. [1] X Research source You can also transplant saplings, runners from a friend or neighbor’s lilac bush. Dig up and transplant saplings from a friend or neighbor’s lilac bush in the spring, just as leaf buds begin to form or when the newly opened leaves are still small. Choose saplings that are at least 12 inches (30. 5 cm) tall. Use a shovel to dig the saplings out of the ground with as much of a root base as possible. Cut the runners with the shovel blade to separate the sapling from the parent plant.
Avoid planting lilacs too close to a wall or tree. The lilacs’ roots need room to spread out. [3] X Research source
If the soil where you live isn’t very rich, add some compost, bone meal, or fertilizer to the hole before planting the lilac. [5] X Research source Use a soil testing kit to find out the pH of the soil. Lilacs prefer a neutral to slightly acidic pH of 5 to 7. If the soil is too acidic, sprinkle lime on the soil over the roots of the lilac. Follow manufacturer’s application instructions and reapply every 3 to 5 years. If you’re planting more than one lilac bush, space the holes you dig 5–15 feet (1. 5–4. 6 m) apart, depending on what variety you’re planting. [6] X Research source
Remove diseased or damaged branches and suckers sprouting up from the base as soon as you discover them. Cut off dead flowers to prevent the plant from putting resources into forming seeds. Prune the bush again in the fall after flowering is done to shape it or remove branches with low flower production.
Dry lilacs using silica gel. Fill a large glass or plastic container with an inch of silica gel. Place a few stems of freshly harvested lilac into the container so that they stand up in the gel. Fill the rest of the container with gel so that it completely covers the lilac. Put a lid on the container and wait a week or so for the lilacs to dry. Remove them from the jar and use them in a flower arrangement.
