Lilac bushes have very few leaves?

Question

My 14 year old lilacs are well established and have always been prolific bloomers. Last year I noticed that the bushes had far fewer leaves than ever before, and the blooms were more limited. I took a wait and see approach but this year it is even worse – there are hardly any leaves on the bushes and only two of the six bushes had any flowers at all! What should I do – now that they have bloomed should I significantly trim them back? I planted them to provide a visual barrier to my neighbor’s house, but now I can see right through them. They are well over 14′ tall. What should I do?

Answer 1

You can do a rejuvenation pruning (hard pruning back to 6 to 12 inches) or you can do renewal (gradually cutting back over 3 years). I would recommend the renewal since they are a visual barrier.

These links will help you.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac/pruning-lilac-bushes-when-to-trim-lilac-bushes.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac/lilac-bush-not-blooming.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/shgen/rejuvenation-pruning-tips.htm