By Penner
United Kingdom 
My lilac has finished flowering and has looked magnificent but very top heavy basically the bottom 5 feet or so just bare branches. Is now the time to be brutal and cut it right back. Dont really want to as it will leave a massive gap in the garden for the rest of the year?
27 May, 2010
Answers
Take out one third of the over tall stems now. You will not frighten the plant too much and it should send up new stems from the bottom. Do the same next year and the year after and you should be okay. If you do not like the result next year you can always rethink the strategy. They are notorious for sending out runners I would cut them off or it will be all over the garden in no time and not very productive flower wise.
27 May, 2010
Thanks, I ll take it easy!!
27 May, 2010
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If you cut it back too much it wont flower for several years, mine took about four years to flower again (this year).
27 May, 2010