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Lilac Pruning Timing: Don't Prune Now or Lose Spring Flowers

Charlie in Burlington, VT asks how late he can prune lilacs. Lilacs form flower buds only after a cold period; the hormone florigen is made in leaves during a narrow spring window. Pruning now (late summer/fall) removes those leaves — no flowers next spring. Wait until right after bloom next year.

Perennials: Growing Lilacs Indoors: Why It's Not Practical; Pruning Hybrid Teas After Warm Winter: Staged Approach for Georgia; Spring Pruning of Rugosa Roses: Timing and Fertilizer Tips for Zone 6; Rejuvenating a Leggy Japanese Lilac: Two Pruning Strategies; Managing Overgrown Alocasia: Limited Pruning Options; Pruning a Tree-Form Lilac: Sculpt, Don't Remove; Lilac Pruning Guide: After Bloom, Lightly, Remove Suckers, Rejuvenate in Thirds; Pruning Overgrown Lilac Hedge Beside Sidewalk; Rescuing Drought-Stressed Lilac in NE Ohio; Why Your Lilac Won't Bloom and How to Fix It

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