Q: I’m a transplanted Northerner and have had success with ‘Miss Kim’ lilac for the last several years. This year, I had only two blooms. Is it to late to fertilize to help it produce more?

A: It’s too late to make blooms for this year but fertilizer you put out now and again this summer creates more leaves, which lead to more flowers next year. Use any landscape fertilizer, typically a tablespoon per foot of shrub height. Other lilacs to try include ‘White Angel’, ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Betsy Ross’