Lilac (Syringa) with its numerous species and varieties can be used in different ways: As a shrub or tree, the flowering plant cuts a fine figure both as a solitary plant, in a colorfully mixed group of plants and also as a hedge. To ensure that your lilac hedge quickly grows into a he althy privacy screen, you should give the plants a good location, an airy distance from each other and species-appropriate care.
How do you plant and care for a lilac hedge?
A lilac hedge needs a sunny to partially shaded location, loose and drained soil, and a planting distance of around 1 meter. Combine lilacs with other flowering shrubs for an attractive appearance.
Location and soil
It is best to plant your desired lilac hedge in a full sun or bright, partially shaded location where the bushes have at least four hours of sun per day. The darker the place, the fewer flowers the lilac produces - but it often has more leaf mass. Yellow leaves and/or poor growth, on the other hand, are often an indication of a location that is too dark. The soil is ideally loose, permeable and sandy. Lilacs, on the other hand, don't like heavy clay soils.
Planting time
So that the plants can root well in their new location, you should plant them in autumn if possible. The ideal month for planting a lilac hedge is September, when the air and ground are still warm. Alternatively, planting in spring is also possible, but then you should protect the plants against any late frosts - otherwise the first shoots will simply freeze away. On the other hand, you should plant bare-rooted lilacs in winter - if possible between December and the beginning of April.
Planting spacing
Basically, the closer you place the individual plants, the denser the lilac hedge becomes. However, the shrub spreads its roots, which run shallowly underground, very wide, so that strong root pressure can build up after a few years. In general, it is recommended to plant between three and four Syringa vulgaris varieties per linear meter. These should be at least one meter away from walls, fences, etc. To make the individual hedge plants more airy, you can plant them staggered instead of in a straight row.
Beautiful combination options
Pure lilac hedges are a beautiful eye-catcher, especially when they are in bloom, and you can put them together from a single variety or from different varieties. However, it becomes more colorful if you combine the lilac with other flowering trees that either bloom at the same time or open their flowers when the lilac has already bloomed. For example, the following are well suited:
- Crabapple (malus)
- Weigela (Weigela)
- Scented jasmine / pipe bush (Philadelphus)
- Kolkwitzia / mother-of-pearl bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
- Garden hibiscus / garden marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus)
- Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
- Bush mallows (Lafathera)
- Ranunculus (Kerria japonica)
- Roses (Pink)
Tip
Due to possible breeding birds, hedges are not allowed between March 1st. and September 30th not be cut for a year. However, you can carefully clean the lilacs by hand after they have bloomed.