Lilacs dying - Ask Extension
My lilacs and some neighbors leaves are turning brown and dying and spreading. Is it a blight and how do I control it?
Knowledgebase
Lilacs dying #877514
Asked July 16, 2024, 4:27 PM EDT
My lilacs and some neighbors leaves are turning brown and dying and spreading. Is it a blight and how do I control it?
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
It may be bacterial blight. The weather has been prime for bacterial diseases. Besides the suggestions in this link, we suggest you do some renewal pruning by cutting one third of of the largest, oldest stems to the ground to allow for sunlight and air flow. You could do this two more times and by the third year your shrub will be completely new. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/lilac/leavesbrownwilted.html
