Although you'll be losing some flowers for the current year.

Jul 08, The time to prune mature lilac plants is just after the flowers have faded in the spring. Lilacs set next season's flower buds almost immediately, so late pruning will mean sacrificing the next year's flowers. 1  Pruning early also gives new shoots more time and energy to develop, ensuring plenty of blooms for the following spring.

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Apr 21, Mid to late spring is a good time to prune your lilac shrubs so they'll bloom for you later in the year. Mark Viette demonstrations"In the Garden".

May 26, In the spring after it has bloomed, when you cut it back again, trim your lilac tree to one foot shorter than the height you want it to reach during springtime. When you prune a lilac tree, you want to give it as much of a chance to be healthy and strong. Cutting it back like this is helpful to your lilac tree.5/5(1). Apr 02, Pruning lilacs too late can kill young developing buds. If you are pruning lilac trees or shrubs entirely to within inches of the ground, it is best to do so in early spring.

New shoots will develop during the regular growing season as long as there are a few healthy shoots left. Once the growing season has ended, remove any unsightly shoots. Jun 09, When to Prune Lilacs With any type of lilac, you should only prune branches right after the flowers fade to enjoy maximum spring color the next year.

New lilac buds from on old wood. So if you start snipping in summer, fall or in spring before they bloom, you’ll cut off the forming buds and the plant will not bloom.