Wilting leaves on lilac bush

Question

I have a 6 foot lilac bush. Its leaves have wilted this fall. It had bloomed beautifully this spring with no concerns. Now that it is fall, however, the leaves have wilted and I was wondering if there is a fertilizer I should use before winter. Or is it a grub of some sort that is affecting the bush? I did check the roots and could not find signs of mice or moles around the bottom. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I would suspect a fungus, possibly one affecting the roots of the plant. Treat the lilac's leaves with a fungicide and then water the ground around the bush with fungicide laced water. Make sure that the drainage around the roots is good and that the plant is not in standing water.

Give the plant some bone meal to provide phosphorous. This will help the plant regrow its roots if there was damage from a fungus.