My lilac bush doesn't have a lot of flower buds

[chirurgeon]

The last 2 years my dwarf lilac has had a lot of flowers. This year, it doesn't look like it has very many. I don't know what part the weather might have played in this, or if last year when I was going through chemo and surgery and wasn't able to tend the garden have caused this. It was so warm early in the winter, then it got cold and then it got warm and then cold again. Would this affect the bud setting? The bush didn't grow a lot last year. I have finished chemo and am back to mostly full strength so the garden is a major priority this year. I am going to baby it this year. I do know the corner it is located in doesn't get as much sun as I thought it would, but unless the cherry tree next door has a major catastrophy, there isn't anything I can do about it. It does get at least 5 or six hours a day in the summer and more in the spring since the evil tree doesn't leaf out until later in the spring.

Any ideas?

 

[jonestavern]

First of all Hoping for your full & speedy recovery! Being out in the garden is so soothing & a good work out & beautiful!

I know my dwarf lilac doesn't seem to be as a reliable bloomer as our old (about 150 yrs) lilac bushes. We are a zone 4, so am hoping that it is just getting acclimated. This year I will try some of that Root Blaster stuff they sell on QVC & hope for the best. The dwarf (a pink color) does bloom, but sparsely. It's first 2 years it was prolific.
Do you prune or thin out the lilac clumps? I do on our old bushes & it really seems to bring new vigor the next season & even a few blooms in the early fall.

Jean

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I do think the bizarre winter has done lots of damage to flower buds on many things. I don't expect hydrangeas to put on a big show, either. I think lilacs bloom on old wood, which may be the problem. Nothing went dormant this year, because of the warm winter, then in spring when things started to put on new growth, we had that incredible cold snap. Killed a lot of Jap. hollies, and twisted my tulips. It may have damaged the flower buds on your lilacs (probably mine, too, but mine aren't quite ready to flower yet, so I can't tell).
Then again, it MAY be the evil cherry tree.

After blooming, give it a light pruning to stimulate new growth, a feeding with an all-purpose garden fertilizer, and a shot of lime. That should help it along for next year.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Interesting, because I just checked mine here in Minnesota, and they seem to have way more buds than normal.

 

[chirurgeon]

Thanks for the replies. I'll give it a feeding and a light pruning after its finished blooming.

Thanks again.

 

[karenbaco]

Same here mine only has 2 blooms.