Lilac, as beautiful as it blooms, is a real weed and very difficult to kill. If you want to clear an old lilac tree, it is not enough to just saw off the trunk near the ground. Instead, you also have to clear the roots - as thoroughly as possible so that there are no offspring.
How to remove lilac effectively?
To permanently remove lilacs, saw off the trunk and clear the rhizome thoroughly. Remove the trunk and root ball over an area as large as the crown diameter. To prevent lilac offspring, cover the root area with a weed fleece for a few months.
Root weed lilac – stem cutting is not enough
Many varieties of lilac, especially Syringa vulgaris and its hybrids, develop countless root runners from which the plant grows again and again - even if the main stem has long been removed. Instead, hundreds of root runners now appear in its (former) radius, with which the plant wants to fight its own death. Many gardeners try to finally defeat them with weed killers such as Roundup. However, it is better not to spread such a poison in your garden, as it also has an impact on all other plants and living beings there - as well as on the soil and groundwater. Not to mention that poisoning often doesn't kill lilacs. Instead, it still sprouts again and again.
Clearing lilacs including the rhizome – This is how it works
If you want to get rid of the lilac for good, the only thing that helps is clearing the rootstock. It's tedious, but you'll have peace afterwards.
And this is how it works:
- Saw the tree trunk, leaving about 100 to 150 centimeters.
- Now pierce the root area with a spade.
- The radius should be approximately as large as the former crown diameter.
- Loose the root ball with a digging fork.
- You can simply lift out smaller lilacs with the digging fork.
- For larger specimens, use the trunk as a lever.
- Move it back and forth in different directions.
- If necessary, cut roots with a spade or even an ax (€32.00 on Amazon).
- If the trunk is wobbly enough and all the roots have been severed, simply pull it out.
Of course you can't remove all the roots this way. To prevent anything from sprouting from the leftover residue, you can cover the root area with a weed fleece and leave it there for a few months. Since no more sunlight comes through, any lilac offspring have no chance either.
Tip
Sometimes it is recommended to simply burn out tree stumps and their roots. We would also like to advise you against this, as the smoldering fire that ignites cannot be reliably controlled. On the other hand, it is better to mill out the rootstock.
