Digging up a lilac bush—root ball and all—is definitely a workout! You’ve got to be pretty thorough here; otherwise, those stubborn roots will send up new shoots, and you’ll find yourself dealing with lilac “zombies” popping up in the same spot year after year.
Moving or Removing Your Lilac
There are plenty of reasons you might need to dig up a lilac. Usually, it’s because the bush has outgrown its space or it’s just not happy with its current growing conditions. How you tackle the job depends on your end goal. If you’re looking to transplant your lilac so it can thrive somewhere else, we’ve got a guide for that. But if you’re looking to remove the lilac entirely and get rid of it for good, you’ll find those specific tips here.
Regardless of your plan, step one is to prune the lilac back by at least a third. Keep in mind that the older and bigger the shrub, the more massive the root system will be, which makes digging it up a bit of a project. If you’re trying to keep the plant alive, you’ll need to be extra careful not to damage too many roots, or it’ll have a hard time bouncing back in its new home.
Always Dig Up the Root Ball
This is exactly why that heavy pruning is so important: the fewer branches the roots have to support, the more energy the plant can put into regenerating and settling into its new spot. On the flip side, if you’re getting rid of the lilac for good, you can’t leave any roots behind. If you do, the plant will likely sprout right back up, and you’ll be back at square one.
Pro tip: Just sawing the lilac off at the trunk won’t cut it. If you leave the rootstock in the ground, you’ll likely see dozens of suckers (root offsets) shooting up from the soil within a surprisingly wide radius. However, if you actually want more plants, these suckers are great for lilac propagation, so they aren’t always a bad thing!
If you aren’t looking to grow more, make sure to dig out the root ball generously. A good rule of thumb is to dig a circle as wide as the lilac’s canopy was before you pruned it. Depending on the size of the bush, this can take some elbow grease. If you’re transplanting, give the root ball a gentle wiggle to loosen it gradually. If you’re just tossing it, feel free to chop the root system into smaller, manageable pieces to pull them out one by one.
