Question
Hi.  I recall my mother having started new lilac plantings from the branches of existing bushes, but I don't recall exactly how she did this.

I have one thriving lilac bush on my property.  Could I successfully transplant branches from that bush to new sites?  Or, am I better off simply purchasing an intact bush from a nursery?  I live in upstate NY, where lilacs bloom right about now.  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Jim,
Thanx for your question.  You can take hardwood cuttings of lilac by cutting off eight-inch sections of the hard wood stems of the lilac no bigger around than a pencil and cut at an angle at a leaf axil (where the leaf meets the twig) and stick them in a trench about 4 inches deep and cover.  Keep watered and by next season many of the cuttings will have rooted.  Another way to do it is to take a branch that will reach the ground comfortably and dig a small hole place the branch over the hole and cover with dirt and place a rock on top to keep the branch in place.  By fall it should have started rooting.  You might also want to try to dig up some suckers which are outgrowths of the mother lilac bush that are close to the mother but still attached under ground.  Dig down until you see a good root system and separate with a sharp knife.  Transplant immediately.  I hope this helps.
Tom