Propagating Lilacs: Hardwood Cuttings, Layering, and Suckers

My mother started lilacs from branches. How did she do it? I have a thriving bush in upstate NY (blooming now). Can I transplant branches, or should I buy a nursery plant?

Three Lilac Propagation Methods

1. Hardwood cuttings: Cut 8-inch pencil-thick stems at an angle at a leaf axil. Stick 4 inches deep in a trench, keep watered. Many root by next season. 2. Layering: Bend a low branch to ground, bury in shallow hole, cover with soil + rock. Roots by fall. 3. Suckers: Dig up root sprouts near mother plant with good root systems, sever cleanly, transplant immediately. All work well—suckers are fastest.