What can I do to revitalize my lilac bushes?

I have nine lilac bushes in my yard. Over the last five years (which have been very dry where I live), I've gotten fewer and fewer blooms from them every year - to the point that two of them don't even bloom anymore! What can I do to make them healthy again, and to get lots of flowers from it?

What can I do to revitalize my lilac bushes?
Lilac bushes bloom on new wood. They also bloom less if they are in too much shade. To rejuvenate your bushes - prune them back some right after they bloom. Then make sure they have enough sunlight to bloom their best. The new growth from his year will create plenty of blooms next year.
Reply:I would cut them back, work up the dirt around them and feed them. They need fertilizer, and you can go to any nursery and tell them you want fertilizer for lilac's. Make sure, that they do get enough water. There is a product called bloom which you mix with water, and soon you will get flowers. Also, egg shells around the plant help in the flowering process.
Reply:Full sun, proper pruning, mulching and proper watering are all the right answers, but I would like to address a common myth.



Most everyone suggests fertilizing their trees and shrubs. Sometimes our trees and shrubs are lacking for nutrients, but seldom is it a lack of nutrients in the soil. More often a nutrient deficiency is due to our soil PH. Trees %26amp; shrubs can benefit from a light fertilizer feeding, but timing is important. Fertilize your trees and shrubs in fall when they are going dormant and the soil is still warm (50 degrees F). A light feeding at this time helps to promote root development and improves a plant's health because of a better root system. Also, we all need to understand that nitrogen promotes vegetative growth. When we want flowers, we do no want to promote excessive vegetative growth. A plant stimulated to produce new, excessive vegetative growth will do so at the expense of flower production. This type of growth is also a prime target of insects and disease. Fertilizing, especially heavy fertilizing in spring with a high nitrogen based fertilizer will reduce the number of flower blooms on our shrubs. This is just the opposite of our goal. Good luck and happy gardening.
Reply:Lilac bushes are very strong bushes. I would cut them down to 3 feet from the ground. This way you will have stronger growing lilacs. I took care of my mother lilacs and they got leggy. But by pruning them down you with spurt new growth next year. Pruning is the key for more flowers the following year. Mulching is another reason to keep your lilacs going. Mulch keep the soil moist and keep the roots systems from drying out in time of drought. Compost is a fertilizer to help your bushes grow.