Many of the new lilac varieties are hybrids, i.e. H. They can only be propagated using cuttings, cuttings or grafting.
How do you graft lilac plants?
To refine lilacs, you need a Syringa vulgaris rootstock and scions. Cut connecting surfaces on both parts of the plant and bring them together. Secure the connection with raffia or finishing ribbon. The refinement promotes growth and enables individual design options.
What is “refining”?
Propagation through grafting (also known as “xenovegetative propagation” in specialist circles) is a form of vegetative propagation in which two plant species or varieties are brought together - in principle, the gardener turns two plants into one. The rootstock provides the rootstock, which influences growth and is important for nutrient absorption. The noble variety is grafted onto it or refined, as the gardener says.
Good reasons for refining
Noble lilac is often refined because:
- This way you can quickly grow strong plants
- propagation by other means is not successful or not successful
- the plant should be given certain properties, for example in terms of height or growth habit
- Many new plants can be grown with little starting material
- several varieties should grow on one support
Refining lilacs – This is how it’s done
The easiest way to graft a noble lilac onto a Syringa vulgaris rootstock, i.e. a wild lilac. You need the base and a piece of shoot from the scion with three pairs of eyes, which are connected to each other through the so-called copulation. The best time is directly after the second annual shoot in July. And this is how it works:
1. Cut the connecting surfaces on both the base and the scion.
2. The cutting surface must be the same length.
3. Cut evenly to create a flat surface.
4. A long, elliptical cut is also important to achieve a larger growth zone.
5. The more extensive the contact between their growth layers, the better the grafting partners grow together.
6. Also make sure that there is at least one eye facing each interface.
7. Never touch the cut surfaces with your bare hand!8. Put the cut surfaces together and connect them firmly with raffia or a special finishing ribbon (€7.00 on Amazon).
Depending on how high you let the trunk of the rootstock stand, you can achieve a lilac standard tree. The higher the level of refinement, the stronger the influence of the base. Any root runners must always be removed as they are wild shoots.
Tip
A refined lilac becomes particularly interesting if you refine several different colored noble varieties onto an ordinary lilac - a colorful spring bouquet in the garden.