Question: How do I get rid of lilac suckers from my lawn? I have an urban forest in the making! I don't want to kill the lilacs or dig up the lawn. Will the vinegar, salt, water, and soap solution work? Mowing doesn't help.
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Catastrofy from Winnipeg, Canada
Answer: Catastrofy,
Each lilac sucker has the potential to turn into a whole new plant, so you're right, it's wise to remove some of the suckers or you run the risk of taking vigor away from the parent plant. Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of lilac suckers permanently (sans using toxic chemical means) is to fully separate them from the mother plant by digging them out.
Although snapping them off or mowing them down can cause them to re-branch and produce even more suckers than your started with, many gardeners find that mowing them regularly is the easiest, most practical (and least time consuming) way of dealing with them. If you're worried about suckers spilling over into your lawn, you might try installing a "weed" barrier (made from copper, steel or plastic) that goes down 6 inches or more into the soil between the edge of your lawn and your lilac shrubs.
The reason lilacs tend to get tall and leggy after a while is because these shrubs renew themselves from their roots. It is important to leave at least a portion of the suckers intact to accomplish this purpose. A good way to keep the canes from getting tall and leggy is to cut the oldest ones down to within 18-20 inches of the ground in late spring right after they bloom. This way you always have some up and coming suckers that will produce larger flower heads on shorter stems.
Good luck!
Ellen
About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com
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