Complete guide to lilac propagation

How to sow lilac

Lilac can be sown and a large number of lilac trees can be obtained.

Lilac is usually sown in spring. Soak the seeds in water for 1 to 2 days before sowing. After taking them out, place them on sand to germinate. Keep the soil moist for a week before sowing. Cover them with about 1 cm of soil, and the seedlings will germinate after a month.

After the seedlings emerge, the weak seedlings must be cut off in time, and weeding, watering and fertilizing are all necessary. It can be planted in pots in the spring of the following year.

How to propagate lilac cuttings

Choose 1-2 year old strong branches as cuttings, insert them directly into the soil, and let them slowly take root to form new plants.

Usually cuttings are done one month after the flowers bloom. The temperature is controlled at around 25℃ and roots will take shape in 30 to 40 days. When the young roots turn from white to yellowish brown, they are transplanted.

How to graft lilac

The most commonly used method for lilac grafting is bud grafting. The cuttings are selected from plump leaf buds on branches of the current year, and the rootstock is a 1-2 year old lilac tree.

Cut off the leaves above the water, leaving only the petioles, make a horizontal cut 1 cm above the bud, and then make a flat cut upwards 1 cm below the bud; make a horizontal cut 5 cm from the rootstock from the ground, and make a vertical cut 3 cm downwards from the middle of the incision to form a T shape; insert the cuttings into the T-shaped area so that the two are tightly combined, and tie them with a plastic bag.

2 to 3 weeks after budding, if the petiole on the scion falls off naturally, it means that the bud has survived and the plastic strip can be removed at this time.

How to divide lilac

To be more specific, the division of lilac is actually the division of buds. After the leaves fall in early spring or autumn, the small buds grown from the roots of the plant are dug out and planted in pots. If they need to be transplanted in autumn, they can be planted in pots again in the spring of the following year.

How to layer lilac

The best time to propagate lilac by layering is February. Choose a long, strong branch. If the branch is too thick, you can lightly cut it at the bottom and then press it into the soil. After that, keep the soil moist and it will take 2 to 3 months to take root. In autumn, the rooted part can be separated from the mother plant and planted separately.