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Our Garden Expert Explains 8 Reasons Why Your Lilacs Aren't Blooming
By PEG ALOI
Sun
Check if your lilac is getting enough sun, as sometimes a nearby tree can block its sunlight. Relocate the lilac to where it can get six hours of sun daily, or trim the tree.
Pruning
Lilacs start budding almost immediately after spring flowering, so it's crucial to prune within two weeks after the last flowers have dropped to prevent removing new buds.
Drainage
Root rot will stunt your lilac's ability to bloom, so if it's too wet where it is now, move it to a spot with better drainage and amend the soil with humus and compost.
Soil
Ensure the soil is slightly alkaline by adding manure mixed with lime around the base of your lilac in spring or fall after pruning, and remove any accumulated pine needles.
Age
To rejuvenate your lilac and encourage better bloom production on new canes, you need to hard prune it in stages over several years, cutting old wood to be 2 or 3 feet tall.