Lilac Bush

[Tilly2]

We have a lilac bush in the garden which has found its way in from next door's garden. It is adjacent to the fence and we have a Philadelphus, which we did plant, growing in front of it.

The lilac is now about nine or ten feet tall, despite being cut back to about five feet last year, and all the flowers have died off. How can I get rid of it? I didn't plant it and I really don't like it. It's like a Triffid!

[Tilly2]

Any suggestions?

[Ratty2E]

That's the problem with lilac they spread like crazy. You can chop it off at the roots where it came in but chances are it or one of its mates will be back. The only way to stop it would be to dig down along the bottom of the fence and make a barrier with something like paving slabs on their edges.

[Chipchopper]

I would get down on my knees and cut all the suckering stems that have come up on your side of the fence, pruning saw, loppers or secateurs, depending on the thickness of the stems.
Might be a job that needs doing every year though.

[Toorak]

I don't know Tilly. I think the only way to get rid of them is dig them out or poison them but I am guessing that is a problem if it is your neighbour's bush. I think they also have loads of suckers. It might be a case of cutting back as much as you can and keeping on doing so. But I'm no expert on this!

[Nylasor]

Cut it really close to the ground and paint it with tree stump killer - different ones available from garden centre or Amazon

[Tilly2]

Thanks for that, Ratty. In order to do what you have suggested we will have to cut the Philadelphus right down in order to get behind it. Will the Philadelphus survive being cut down to about a foot, do you know?

Would pouring weedkiller on the stumps of the lilac, kill it?

[Tilly2]

Toorak, that's the irony. The lilac isn't growing on their side anymore. It's all in our garden, as far as I can tell.

Thanks to Chip and Nylasor too. I can see that i't's going to be a perennial problem if I don't use something chemical on it. I'm concerned about the Philadelphus and a nearly magnolia, though. I really would rather not use anything nasty.

[Ratty2E]

I expect your philadelphus is in flower or just about to be so I'd leave it until it's finished when it should be pruned anyway. You usually cut a proportion of the old stems right down to near the base when pruning but I've never done the whole thing at once. I would imagine it would be ok but don't take my word for it.

[Tilly2]

Thank you again, Ratty. I need to invest in a decent pair of loppers and a garden saw, I think.

More work!