Q.I Purchased And Planted A Bloomerang Purple Lilac Bush About A Week Ago. From The Second Day, The Leaves Have Been Wilting. Any Su
ggestions for saving it will be appreciated! I backfilled the hole with a mixture of soil, peat moss, and manure. I’m worried that I burned the roots by adding manure. Could it be that it just needs more water?
Transplant shock is a common occurrence. I hope the manure you used was fully composted or it may damage fragile feeder roots. Nowadays, the tree and shrub recommendation is to backfill with native soil. Compost and or manure can be used as a top-dressing. Regardless of backfill, lilacs are tough. Rig up some shade using a cardboard box, sheet or even an umbrella until the shrub recovers. The root system needs to get situated in the new environment before it can put up with full sun. When your lilac stops wilting, remove the shade. Water an inch weekly, two inches if temps are over 86F, from now until the start of winter if rainfall is insufficient. Going into winter fully hydrated helps to prevent winter kill.
