Liliac bush advice

[aprilvaca04]

So my neighbor was taking down some oak trees in his back yard and had an oops...unfortuately their oops ended up right smack in the middle of my liliac bush and basically split it in half and smashed it to the ground. There are many split branches, broken branches...it was just about ready to bloom beautifully finally after many years. I am extremely bumped as this was a mothers day gift from my DD's several years ago and it just began to really become something the past two seasons. Anyway, does anyone thinkit will survive and have any ideas how to try to nurse it back to help. I am sooooo and boy was I when it happened!!!!! Any help would be appreciated!!!!!

 

[happycampers]

We had our lilac bush reduced by about half a couple of years ago during a storm. I haven't done anything to nurse it back to health, but it's doing well despite being half a bush. Mine is a dwarf lilac, and I originally planned for it to be pruned into a tree shape. With the way the remaining branches are growing now, I don't know if I'll be able to do that. I was thinking about digging the whole thing up and turning/rotating the root ball and all so that there is a main branch running up the middle to become the "trunk". I'm hoping that is possible. Half a bush is sort of funny-looking. I know I wasn't much help, but I wanted to encourage you that it may pull through like mine did.

 

[aprilvaca04]

Thanks for your encouragement. I have left it alone for right now(well my DH did go out and pull off the branches that were completely knocked off) My neighbors said they would have a tree person come out and look at it but that has yet to happen. That is making me even more irritated and on toip of that the only decent part of the tree faces their house not mine!!!! My DH wants to just cut the whole thing back and pretty much see if we can start from scratch...I want to wait on doing that until the tree person ever shows up

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Leave the part that is looking lively, and cut away the parts in which the leaves are all shriveled up. It'll fill in within a year or two, unless it's truly enormous...even then, it's likely to recover if 1/3 or more of the bush is salvageable.

 

[aprilvaca04]

Leave the part that is looking lively, and cut away the parts in which the leaves are all shriveled up. It'll fill in within a year or two, unless it's truly enormous...even then, it's likely to recover if 1/3 or more of the bush is salvageable.

Thanks...that's what I was hoping to do and will happen. What about branches that are broken or splintered but the leaves aren't shriveled up yet? What would you do with those?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks...that's what I was hoping to do and will happen. What about branches that are broken or splintered but the leaves aren't shriveled up yet? What would you do with those?

I would prune back the broken splintered branches so as not to allow places for insects to enter the bark. We have 2 regular sized lilac bushes. I can imagine how you must feel. Lawn people come in our area and often, just when one of mine is ready to bloom, the blossoms die.

Bobbi

 

[pamouselover]

We have a huge lilic bush. I dont know how old it is, but it has taken some major abuse. Kids...dogs!!!!!!!!
We have lived in our house for ten years. I HACK (as DH likes to say) at it every year. The previous owners let it get out of control, and ten years later I am still trying to tame it. Just last month a storm hit us and it snap two big branches. I would cut the branches off. You might want to cut it back good.
Are you trimming all the dead flowers off every year after it bloooms?
Here is PA. they bloom for two weeks about in May, and then I HACK IT!
It always blooms better the folllowing year if you give it a good HACK!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

We have a huge lilic bush. I dont know how old it is, but it has taken some major abuse. Kids...dogs!!!!!!!!
We have lived in our house for ten years. I HACK (as DH likes to say) at it every year. The previous owners let it get out of control, and ten years later I am still trying to tame it. Just last month a storm hit us and it snap two big branches. I would cut the branches off. You might want to cut it back good.
Are you trimming all the dead flowers off every year after it bloooms?
Here is PA. they bloom for two weeks about in May, and then I HACK IT!
It always blooms better the folllowing year if you give it a good HACK!

Do we have a little misplaced aggression here?

 

[pamouselover]

Do we have a little misplaced aggression here?

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the bush in May, evey other month itr is just a huge mess. I post a pick!

 

[aprilvaca04]

We have a huge lilic bush. I dont know how old it is, but it has taken some major abuse. Kids...dogs!!!!!!!!
We have lived in our house for ten years. I HACK (as DH likes to say) at it every year. The previous owners let it get out of control, and ten years later I am still trying to tame it. Just last month a storm hit us and it snap two big branches. I would cut the branches off. You might want to cut it back good.
Are you trimming all the dead flowers off every year after it bloooms?
Here is PA. they bloom for two weeks about in May, and then I HACK IT!
It always blooms better the folllowing year if you give it a good HACK!

I do trim off all the flowers after they have bloomed...I am still unjsure as to what to do with this bush...my DH wants to just cut it all the way back...I think we should only cut the broken branches...the bush is actually blooming but unfotunately it is smooshed so low to the ground it looks horrible...still don't know what Im going to go. I also have left it looking like a mess so that when the neighbor who's tree fell on it has their sons graduation party this weekend it still looks like the mess they made of it...I know that sounds terrible but I am still so about the whole thing!!!