Three care tips for summer lilacs ensure vigorous flowering

Created: 08/22/2022, 06:00

By: Franziska Kaindl

Blooming summer lilac © Imago

The summer lilac is a real eye-catcher in the garden.

To ensure that you can enjoy the flowers for a particularly long time, you should follow a few care tips.

It shines in magnificent colors such as pink, purple or dark blue and attracts numerous butterflies, bees and bumblebees: the summer lilac, also known as the butterfly bush.

Because of its beautiful flowers and the wonderful scent, it is a welcome guest in many domestic gardens - and thankfully, it is also very easy to care for.

Nevertheless, you have to lend a hand from time to time to ensure that the flowers will be magnificent and long again next year.

Caring for summer lilacs: A good location is half the battle

Your summer lilac will thank you especially if you choose a suitable location for it.

A sunny spot that is sheltered from the wind is ideal.

He also feels comfortable in partial shade.

The only thing you should not put the buddleia in the shade is that it puts more energy into the production of leaves in order to catch the little sunlight.

Flower formation is neglected.

Soil quality also plays a role for beautiful blooms in summer: it should be rich in nutrients, light and well-drained.

Avoid heavy and permanently damp soil.

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Prune summer lilacs at the right time

For beautiful flowers, it is important that the summer lilac does not become a shaggy plant with tiny branches - this ensures that fewer and fewer flowering branches are formed and the flowers are smaller and smaller.

Regular pruning is necessary here: in late winter, severely shorten the stronger flowering shoots from the previous year so that only two or three pairs of eyes remain.

Place the scissors just above a pair of eyes.

Sick, frozen or thin shoots growing inwards are completely removed.

Only a few days after the pruning, buds will be noticeable again.

Do not fertilize summer lilacs too lavishly

In order to help plants and crops to flower vigorously, hobby gardeners like to use some fertilizer.

However, this is not necessary with summer lilac, too many nutrients tend to cause it to grow too large and form branches that are too thick.

It is therefore completely sufficient to care for the summer lilac with some organic fertilizer such as mature compost when pruning.

This is worked into the ground.

You don't have to overdo it when watering either.

According to the NDR, only newly planted plants have to be watered regularly, especially in the summer months.

Older plants only need a water supply during longer dry periods - they do not tolerate waterlogging.