Lilacs container & propagation

Hi folks,
Do any of you have James McFarlane & Donald Wyman lilacs.
I know the tag says they get to be 10ft high by 6-8 ft wide but what has your experience been with this type, also does this type get leggy. Any idea on how many inchs/ft they grow per year if they are in full sun with plenty of air circulation around them? Lastly, would you use them as a hedge to line a driveway.

Common lilacs. I have a friend that wants them gone. Can I sever the little ones coming out of the bottom & try rooting powder with soil to get them growing on their own. Do I have to do this in a cold frame with misting til they root or can I put them straight in the ground where they will ultimately go.

Thank you.

Joel.

EDIT: I forgot to ask. I read you should cut 1/3 of them down when you plant them. Is this true???

This message was edited Jul 29, 2009 10:19 PM

I do not have any James McFarlane & Donald Whyman lilacs. Usually if they are planted in full sun the bushes will get to the size printed on the tag. You could use them for a hedge. Just be sure to plant them the appropriate distance from the drive itself to allow for growth..........then add a few extra feet. You're in Michigan and you're going to get lots of snow on the driveway. When you plow it's going to get piled up on the sides and you don't want your bushes getting damaged and broken branches with the added weight of ice and snow. A better choice for lining the drive might be some kind of trees. Their sturdy trunks could take more weight and once grown they'd form a nice canope with proper pruning over the driveway. I can suggest some types of trees if you'd like. Of course, the initial investment is going to be greater with trees than with bushes but the longevity might be better. Under ideal conditions, lilacs live forever. Just make sure you plant them far away from the actual drive.

Lilacs need to be rejuvinated every so often. You never want to take out more than 1/3 of the bush a year. Cut out the older canes or branches. Now, if you're planting a whole driveway of these that is going to require a lot of maintenance for you. You up to it? Pruing one bush is a lot of work but doing dozens of them might be overwhelming. Never bite off more than you can chew.

Here is some information on propagation.

Lilac Propagation


It usually takes at least three years before you get blooms on your lilacs. Most people buy lilacs from garden supply stores or catalogs. (Yes, they can be bought on the Internet and shipped.) Most of us buy common varieties of Lilacs as small bushes that are already 2 to 3 feet tall. Two to three years later, you will see your first bloom.


Another popular way to grow new bushes is to take small shoots from an existing plant. Select shoots which are one to two feet tall. Look for good root systems. Dig deeply to extract as much of the root as possible. The main root will be attached to the mother plant. Use clippers to cut it from the main bush. Plant the new shoot in the location you have selected. Add compost to the soil before planting. Plant three to five shoots in each area. Water thoroughly. Like all transplants, the survival rate is higher if transplanted in cooler weather. Keep the soil around your transplant moist, but not water-logged.


You can also grow Lilacs from seed, although this is an exceedingly uncommon approach. At the end of the season, you can harvest the seed from the dead flowers after they have dried, but before they fall out of the seed pods onto the ground. Growing from seed takes time and patience. Most gardeners don't want to wait four to five years to see the first lilac blossoms.


Nowadays, growing Lilacs from seed is a task left to horticulturalists and garden supply stores. If you are really into creating a unique variety, you will pollinate blooms and carefully harvest the seed. After generations of plants and many, many years, you could create a new variety to add to over 1,000 that already exist.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac/lilac05.htm