Common lilac - Syringa vulgaris
Lilac, commonly known as lilac, cultivated in home gardens, it is very important as a shrub, which delivers flowers in the second half of winter. Early and white-flowered varieties are suitable for forcing (e.g. "Marie Legraye” and 'Madame Florent Stepman' with single flowers and 'Madame Lemoine' with full flowers); varieties with purple flowers are chased less frequently (e.g. „Indenken an L. Spath" i "Glory of Horstenstein").
Either flowering shrubs in pots are sold, or, and more often, cut twigs.
Younger shrubs are suitable for forcing in pots. For cut flowers we use older plants, even 10 years old, well-formed.
Preparation for planting. So that the driving result is successful, bushes must be properly prepared. For this purpose, lilacs, which already have a crown formed, i.e.. two-year-old occultists, is planted (with a root ball) in August - at the beginning of September for pots with a diameter of 16-20 cm in a mixture of 3 parts of the frame land i 1 parts of the peat litter. The shrubs planted in pots, after they have been properly wintered, are harvested in the field in spring, deepening the pots to half their height, and the area between them is covered with manure or, in the absence of it, with composted peat. Shoots are pruned over 3-4 pairs of buds. Thin, weak shoots are removed. During dry periods, lilacs should be watered abundantly. From spring, during the entire growing season, especially in May and June, the bushes are watered abundantly and from April to the end of June, we supply them with slurry or in April and end of June with mineral fertilizers in the amount of: 5 kg of ammonium sulfate, 4 kg superphosphate, 4kg of potassium salt per ar.
In August, we limit watering plants, we take them out of the pits and place them on the surface of the bed. Thus, the growth of shrubs is already completely completed in September, and flower buds well developed.
The older ones are used for driving to the cut flower, at least 3-4-year-old occultists, having a crown of 8-10 strong, long shoots, ended with flower buds.
Further care for lilacs intended for forcing will depend on the date of commencement of forcing. These shrubs, to be driven on the first date, i.e.. at the end of October, in early November, it is necessary to force the end of vegetation early and go into a state of dormancy. For this, in the second half of July, lilacs growing in the soil are dug up with a lump with a diameter of approx 40 Cm. If the soil is firm and the lumps stick well, they are left loose, if the soil is loose, this is to prevent it from spilling out, ballot the root ball, i.e.. we tie it with a sheet (usually about sizes 1,5 X 1,5 m). From now on, the plants are not watered, and in the event of rainy weather, it is recommended to move the lilacs under the roof. These shrubs, which will be driven at a later date can be dug up later, even in early September.
Rushing. Most often, forcing can be started at the end of October or in the first days of November. In order to obtain beautifully flowering lilac plants when forcing in this period, it should be subjected to a low temperature or a warm bath.
Before inserting the lilacs into cooling cameras, the root ball should be secured by balloting (this applies naturally to these shrubs, which hitherto had not been sheltered). In a cold store with a temperature of -2 to -5 °, lilacs stay for three weeks, if they are to be driven at the end of October or in November or by 2 weeks if for driving will be taken in December.
Warm baths are carried out in pools specially prepared for this purpose, which must have a depth from 1,20 do 1,50 m, and the area depends on the number of lilacs, which will be bathed simultaneously. Only lilac crowns are immersed in warm water, and the root balls wrapped in sheets are supported on boards placed in the pool. The earlier you start driving lilacs, the higher the water temperature must be (table).
Table. Water temperature when forcing lilacs
While forcing the bushes, we sprinkle the bushes 4-5 times a day. Depending on the time of forcing, the greenhouse must be kept at an appropriate temperature (table).
As can be seen from the table above, in the final period of forcing, when the lower flowers in the inflorescences begin to develop, the temperature is gradually reduced to 21, and even up to 16 °, which favors the durability of flowers.
We usually do not start cultivating purple varieties until January, because they color less when developing at high temperature.
When forcing to cut flower, so as not to weaken the development of inflorescences, we break off all the developing leaf shoots. For forcing, for sale in pots, so that the shrubs have a prettier appearance, we only remove these leaf shoots, which develop near the inflorescences.
Nursing after flowering. After flowering, the lilacs are moved to a frost-protected room. In the spring, cut the shoots over 2-3 pairs of buds and plant them in the ground, spaced apart 0,6 X 1,0 m. They are suitable for re-forcing at the earliest in the second, usually, however, only in the third year. Beauty treatments during this period will be the same as listed at the beginning.