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Lilac Care/pruning

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From: Lisa Searing City: Urbana, IL
My lilac bushes managed a few flowers, after budding before the freeze came. Is there anything I should do to help the bush recover for next year? In searching the site about lilacs, the message I found was about when to prune a lilac. How do you know if a lilac needs pruning? How much should be removed? I believe my bushes are quite old.
	Extension Message From: Sandra Mason State Master Gardener Coordinator Champaign/Ford/Iroquois/Vermilion Unit slmason@illinois.edu
Lisa, General maintainance of watering during drought and mulching is best to help them recover. generally we prune to encourage new growth which flowers best. remove about one third of oldest branches to ground.
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