Oh I just wanted to mention that, so far as I can tell, they have not grown at all since I planted them. Both plants look the same. I was wondering if I should add fertilizer or if they're just acting normally. I recall from planting previous lilacs that they required really no care and did nicely.

Hey thank you so much. The weather really hasn't been very hot over here (zip 12724) and we've had quite a bit of rain. This is a weekend home so we're away a lot, but I watered the first few days and afterwards, but the soil seems moist. Not far away (planted right near the house) I have two other lilac bushes, planted in 2009 or 2010, that have no such problem. They are Ludwig Spaeth Lilacs, for what it's worth. I just wonder if they're already kaput. that would be a shame, as the reason I planted em is that they are supposed to be hardy. These are scrawny and look worse than when I planted em.

Are you sure you had a bunch of rain at the location of those lilacs? I just checked the weather almanac for the zip code you provided and it says that June had 0.69" of rain. If this is a weekend home for you, then this plant almost certainly has gotten dried out from lack of water.

Well I thought it was more than that. The rain can be spotty around here. Still, I guess the leaves speak for themselves. Is there anything I can do to fix this, or are the two plants goners? Also I'm wondering what I should do about these leaves, whether I should remove them or leave them there. If I pull off these burned leaves I'll be left with pretty much no leaves. Thanks for your help with this.

they are warrantied ... i would talk to the seller ...

if not ... just wait and see what happens ...

ken

Well I bought them at an Agway, but I doubt that they were under a warranty. The reason I'm pretty sure they got enough rain is that all of our other plants are doing really nicely, and also that our other lilacs, the ones we planted some years ago, are too.

i have done some very brutal things to Ls .... ripping out suckers with little or no grace ... planting them a day or two later ... and frankly.. as ugly as they got ... i am not sure one ever died ...

you might be surprised ... lol ...

do you see any active buds on it???

ken

Do a little scratch test here and there - if green shows under the bark layer, there's life.

No to fertilizer.

Oh I was wondering about that, as I've seen some suggestions about adding wood ash. I'll try that scratch test.

I agree that it looks like insufficient moisture. Here in central NH we had no rain from the first week of April until late May, often with temperatures far above normal, upper 80's and even low 90's. If your weather was anything like ours, the soil had quite a moisture deficit, and if your June rainfall was low as well it was really hard on your new lilacs. Your lilac doesn't yet have much of a root system, so it's not surprising that it is suffering more than your other plants.

I would remove more of the grass (it competes for moisture) and then add an organic mulch such as shredded bark over the bare soil to help retain moisture during the week while you are gone. Water slowly and well when you get there on the weekend, and again before you leave. It is currently trying to grow roots and regrow leaves that died when it dried out. No fertilizer or ash or anything else - let it settle in and get its feet under it. It may not grow above ground a huge amount next season as it continues to grow roots, but you should see more growth the following seasons. Shrubs are a lesson in patience.

This wouldn't be a good time of year to replant, so take good care of it this summer, and if it doesn't leaf out before fall, then in early fall replace it. It will probably adjust better since the soil is still warm (for root growth) but days are cooler and shorter, so less stressful for the plant. Mulch well if you replant to help retain moisture and warmth, and to prevent frost heaving.

Thanks! I performed the scratch test - definitely green.