Best Fertilizer For Lilacs of 2024: Top 6 Picks

By Harry RamosLast update: 2024-09-19

Although lilacs don’t require plenty of fertilizer, it’s essential to feed them after 2 years of planting. If you make the right decision, it can help your lilacs bloom more with more beautiful flowers. Not all of them work the same, so you need to learn about how to choose the best fertilizer for lilacs and pick one from the list below:

Here are the best fertilizers for lilacs you can buy in 2024:

  • Best For Quick Results: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food
  • Best For Long-Lasting Blooms: Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes
  • Best For Lush Foliage: Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes
  • Best For Soil Enhancement: MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer
  • Fertilizer & Insecticide Combo: BioAdvanced Granules
  • Best For Root Growth: Scotts Plant Food
6 Best Fertilizers For Lilacs
Best For Quick Results
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food
    Best For Long-Lasting Blooms
    Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes
      Best For Lush Foliage
      Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes
        Best For Soil Enhancement
        MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer
          Fertilizer & Insecticide Combo
          BioAdvanced Granules
            Best For Root Growth
            Scotts Plant Food

              Best For Quick Results: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food

              Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food
              Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food
              Pros
              • Helpful for both inside and outside plants
              • Great price
              • Long-lasting
              • Easy to use
              Cons
              • Not straightforward to dissolve

              If you want to see your lilacs bloom as soon as possible, just choose the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food that can provide your lilacs with nutrients within a short time. Among all forms, this water soluble plant food can bring the quickest result for your lilacs because the water that is mixed with will activate this fertilizer immediately after being applied.

              Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food Specifications

              Size

              8 oz

              Fertilizer Analysis

              24-8-16

              Coverage

              1.5 lbs. feeds approximately 600 sq. ft.

              Highlight Features

              Feed every 1-2 weeks


              Verdict

              The Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food is a water soluble plant food, so it can give your lilacs a fast improvement.

              Best For Long-Lasting Blooms: Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes

              Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes
              Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes
              Pros
              • Straightforward to use
              • Good price
              Cons
              • It’s very easy for the plastic caps to break

              Normally, lilacs can bloom around 14 days from mid-to late spring, but you can last this time by using the Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes. Both manufacturer and customers said that this product can last longer blooms, even if it can encourage more blooms next year.

              Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes Specifications

              Size

              12 count

              Fertilizer Analysis

              15-5-10

              Highlight Features

              Improves vibrant color and lush foliage

              Natural ingredients

              Verdict

              The Miracle-Gro Plant Food Spikes can help your lilacs bloom longer than using other fertilizers.

              Best For Lush Foliage: Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes

              Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes
              Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes
              Pros
              • Easy to apply and use
              • Mess-free
              • Good price
              Cons
              • Allergic reaction - requires you wear a pair of gloves while applying

              Although most people just care about the flowers of lilacs, foliage plays a vital role in an aesthetic lilac bush.

              If your lilacs show yellow leaves, which is a sign of lacking the nutrients for the growth of lush foliage, buy the Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes that have 16-4-4 NPK ratio. Thanks to a high content of nitrogen, your lilacs can produce more proteins to create new tissues of foliage.

              Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes Specifications

              Size

              12 ounces

              Fertilizer Analysis

              16-4-4

              Highlight Features

              Slow-release formula

              Verdict

              The Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes are good for the growth of lush foliage to get a beautiful look when combined with flowers.

              Best For Soil Enhancement: MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer

              MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer
              MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer
              Pros
              • Easy to mix
              • Effective on making your flowers more beautiful
              Cons
              • A very strong fishy smell

              Before growing lilacs, make a soil test. If your soil has a poor quality, you can improve its quality by using the MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer. To drench your soil, let you mix it with water, then pour the solution over the soil until saturated. Besides, this product also promotes vibrant colors and increases blooms of lilac flowers.

              MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer Specifications

              Size

              16.9 oz

              Highlight Features

              Natural and organic ingredients

              Verdict

              The MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer can both improve the quality of your soil and make lilac flowers prettier.

              Fertilizer & Insecticide Combo: BioAdvanced Granules

              BioAdvanced Granules
              BioAdvanced Granules
              Pros
              • Effortless to use
              • Make your flowers more beautiful
              Cons
              • Not safe on edible plants

              Do your lilacs suffer from 2 problems at the same time: lacking nutrients for a complete development and being attacked by insects and bugs?

              If so, there is no need to buy each kind of product to treat each problem. Instead, you can invest in the BioAdvanced Granules that is a fertilizer & insecticide combo. While it can kill 40 species of insects and protect your plants within one year, this product also feeds your lilacs at the same time.

              BioAdvanced Granules Specifications

              Size

              10 lbs

              Fertilizer Analysis

              2-1-1

              Highlight Features

              Protects your plants from attackers within 12 month

              Slow-release

              Verdict

              The BioAdvanced Granules is a fertilizer & insecticide combo, so it can not only feed your plants but also kill many species of insects.

              Best For Root Growth: Scotts Plant Food

              Scotts Plant Food
              Scotts Plant Food
              Pros
              • Easy to spread, use, and apply
              • Effective
              • Useful directions
              Cons
              • Smell
              • Pricey

              In case your lilacs have a weak root system, you can save or improve its condition by applying the Scotts Plant Food. Apart from the flower improvement, the manufacturer said that this product can encourage the growth of roots and lush foliage because all nutrients in this fertilizer are high (11-7-7).

              For the best outcome, it’s better to rake it into 1-3 inches of the soil top, which allows all nutrients to release to the roots directly without burning your lilacs.

              Scotts Plant Food Specifications

              Size

              3 pounds

              Fertilizer Analysis

              11-7-7

              Highlight Features

              Feeds for up to 2 months

              Easy to use

              Safe

              Verdict

              The Scotts Plant Food can help you improve the growth of root, foliage, and flowers because of its high N, P, K.

              How To Choose The Best Fertilizer For Lilacs?

              How Much NPK Ratio Does Lilacs Need?

              Any fertilizer has the information about NPK ratio on the label. It includes 3 numbers, showing the proportions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the product.

              1. Nitrogen (N) helps your plants produce proteins that play an important role in creating new tissues of foliage. The lack of nitrogen leads to yellow and pale green leaves.
              2. Phosphorus (P) can stimulate the growth of the root system to set buds, flowers and produce seeds. This nutrient also helps your plants use other ingredients more efficiently and turn the sunlight into usable energy.
              3. Potassium (K) will promote the overall vigor of your plants by creating carbohydrates, improving disease resistance, regulating metabolic activities. If your plants lack potassium, it will be stunted with lower yields.

              To choose a product with suitable proportions, you need to understand what lilacs need.

              It’s very important to choose a fertilizer with high proportions of phosphorus and potassium, which provides your lilacs with a healthy root system, vibrant foliage, a bounty of blooms, and protection against diseases and pests. Nitrogen (N) is also essential because it contributes to the growth of foliage that makes your lilac bush more beautiful. However, the necessity of this ingredient is to a lesser extent. A fertilizer with nitrogen only results in having a lot of green leaves and very few blooms.

              Note:

              If a soil test shows that your soil is poor quality or lacks nitrogen or iron, choose a product with a high content of nitrogen to compensate.

              What Is The Best Type Of Fertilizer For Lilacs?

              To answer this question, you need to learn about each of them:

              Quick Release

              This is the liquid and water-soluble form. You can directly apply it around the base of your plants or spray it to provide your plants with nutrients immediately. This can improve quickly for ailing plants in poor soil. Although this way brings a fast result, it’s straightforward to overfeed, leading to root burn.

              Slow Release

              These are heavily concentrated forms: granules and spikes which provide plants with nutrients over an extended period, so it’s more eco-friendly.

              Though different products will give different results, granules are so slow-releasing that it can provide your plants with nourishment for up to 9 months continuously. It is less likely to result in root burn. After applying, these granules will do everything, so there is no need to use the water for activating.

              If you grow your lilacs in containers, spikes are more convenient to use. No matter which size you choose, it’s very easy to push them into loamy soil. This solution is also slow-releasing, so it has a low risk of root burn. Natural microorganisms in the soil will release them, so there is no need to use the water. Moreover, this solution can stimulate and increase the resistance to disease and pests.

              Organic

              This solution is safe because it is made from natural compounds such as well-degraded plant material and animal bi products, containing beneficial levels of NPK.

              Inorganic

              Inorganic fertilizers are produced with minerals and chemicals. They work well in a high yield, but soil and nearby water sources can be contaminated.

              Which Brands Make The Best Fertilizer For Lilacs?

              Trammo

              Trammo was founded in 1965 by Ronald Stanton. While their headquarters are located in New York City, they also have other offices in Asia, South America, North America, Africa, and Europe. This brand is the biggest private fertilizer trading company all over the world.

              Terra Nitrogen Company

              This company was founded in 1990. Their headquarters are located in Deerfield. This brand is famous for selling nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium urea nitrate and anhydrous ammonia solutions). Nowadays, they have also produced phosphate fertilizers.

              Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

              Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was established in 1868 with the headquarters in Marysville. This brand is famous in Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe because of their high-quality products. They mainly produce and sell lawn and garden care products such as outdoor cleaners, spreaders, lawn fertilizers, and grass seed products, even weed, pest, and disease control items.

              Sigma AgriScience, LLC

              Sigma AgriScience is a fertilizer company with headquarters in Texas. This brand that is engaged in agricultural fertilizer production provides granular organic fertilizers, granular bio-fertilizers, liquid bio-stimulants for organic farming, conventional farming, turf, orchard, greenhouse, nursery, and landscape markets. In particular, they also offer biotechnology items.

              California Organic Fertilizers, Inc

              California Organic Fertilizers, Inc that was founded in 1990 with its headquarters in California has manufactured liquid and dry fertilizers to apply in organic farming operations. They sell dry organic fertilizers, liquid NPK fertilizers, adjuvants, plant nutrients, lawn and garden natural products, top-quality control products, and organic pesticides.

              FAQs

              When should you fertilize lilacs?

              The ideal time to fertilize lilacs is early spring. At this time, if you provide your lilacs with a boost of nutrients, they can grow and bloom successfully. In case you miss this ideal time, making your lilacs unhealthy, you can fertilize later in the season. Pay attention to avoid fertilizing lilacs during the hottest part of summer unless you want to stress out your lilacs.

              How often do you fertilize lilacs?

              Don’t fertilize your lilacs more than once per year.

              Can fertilizers keep lilacs blooming all summer?

              Yes, but you have to use a suitable product and fertilize it at the right time in the proper way.

              Can fertilizer rejuvenate an old lilac bush?

              Instead of using a fertilizer, you can reinvigorate an old lilac bush by pruning out ⅓ of old canes. This method boosts new growth while still allowing the growth of the blooms.

              Do lilacs need a lot of fertilizer?

              Lilacs don’t need a lot of fertilizer.

              Conclusion

              Is it vital to choose the best fertilizer for lilacs? Can you use any product to feed them? Knowing what your lilacs needs can provide them with the right nutrients with the right ratio. For example, if you need to promote the growth of flowers and blooms, choose a fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus (P). In case your lilacs’ leaves are lacking nutrients, choose an item with a high level of nitrogen (N). Once you understand the importance of the best fertilizer for lilacs, you can make a purchase now. Don't forget to tell me about your decision by leaving a comment below.


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