Even the hardy and easy-care lilac can be plagued by health problems from time to time. For example, if the shrub looks dried up, you should not immediately reach for the watering can. Instead, take the time to research the specific cause. Only then can you provide targeted help to your ailing lilac.
Both too much and too little water have bad effects on lilacs
What causes the lilac to dry up - the most common causes
At this point we have compiled the most common causes that lead to the lilacs drying up and possible treatment methods. In many cases, damage or impairment of the roots and thus a lack of supply of water and nutrients to the above-ground parts of the plant are the cause. But the pathways themselves can also be affected, so that the roots no longer reach all the shoots. As a result, they die. This is often the case, for example, after transplanting an older lilac, when a large part of the root system has been cut off and at the same time no pruning has been carried out - fewer roots support less above-ground parts of the plant, which is why some others then simply dry up.
lack of water
Especially when it is hot and dry, the lilac can quickly become thirsty, especially in sandy soil. A first sign of a lack of water are the leaves, which initially hang limp and later dry up and fall off. Only thorough watering helps.
waterlogging
As paradoxical as it may sound at first, too much moisture can also cause the lilac bush to dry out. Here, however, the lack of water occurs because the roots, which are constantly in the damp, rot due to fungi and bacteria and can therefore no longer supply the lilacs. Sometimes you can still save the plant by pruning it courageously and moving it to drier soil.
soil pests
Voles and grubs - these are the larvae of the cockchafer - like to eat the roots of the lilac. As a result, it can no longer be supplied and dies.
Diseases
Some pathogens can cause wilt, which first kills individual shoots and later the whole plant. These include, for example, Verticillium fungi or the lilac disease caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. In all cases, only a strong pruning back into the healthy wood helps.
tips
Although the lilac needs a location that is as sunny as possible, it can “burn” in very exposed places and in great heat. You can recognize this by the brown spots on the leaves, until the leaves and shoots wither. Therefore, when planting, make sure you choose an airy, even windy location.