Although lilac - not to be confused with the butterfly lilac, which belongs to a different species - is generally a very robust plant, but it can become weak after being planted or transplanted. You can find out in this article why your lilac leaves are drooping and what you can do about it.
Why is my lilac drooping and how can I fix it?
If the lilac leaves its leaves drooping, stress after planting, lack of water, waterlogging or root rot can be the cause. To counteract this, it is important to use careful watering, soil improvement, transplanting and, if necessary, pruning.
Transplanting/repotting lilacs correctly – this is what you should pay attention to
Lilac often leaves its leaves drooping, especially after planting or transplanting. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about; the plant usually recovers after a few hours or days. The reason is often the stress that transplanting places on the plant. She is then in shock from which she first has to recover. In addition, roots have most likely been injured, which is why you always have to cut back older lilacs by about a third before transplanting. The following measures also help so that your lilac doesn't look so sad after planting or transplanting:
- The planting hole or pot should be sufficiently large, about a third of the root ball.
- Choose a warm, dry day for planting.
- Damage as few roots as possible.
- Do not remove the old soil before planting, but leave it on the roots.
- This makes it easier for the plant to root in the new substrate.
- Planting soil should always be at approximately the same temperature as the plant.
- For this reason, you should always warm the substrate beforehand, especially when repotting in early spring.
- Heavily fertilized plant substrate can also cause drooping leaves.
- Water the lilac plenty, as drooping leaves after planting are often caused by a lack of water.
The most common causes and their countermeasures
Other causes of hanging leaves include:
- Water shortage due to prolonged drought – countermeasure: water
- Waterlogging, caused for example by heavy soil - countermeasure: transplant, improve soil
- Root rot, caused by fungal infection such as verticillium or honey fungus - countermeasure: heavy pruning, possibly transplanting with soil improvement, often clearing
- wrong location such as soil with a lot of clay – roots cannot spread and can no longer supply the plant with water – countermeasure: transplanting, soil improvement, drainage
Tip
Even if it may seem like it at first, the reason for hanging leaves is not always a lack of water, but often the opposite. Therefore, first carefully examine the causes before you carelessly reach for the watering can and possibly deal the death knell to your lilac.
