Experience of winter green grafting of a collection of lilacs in the protected ground of the Botanical Garden of Peter the Great

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris L., olive family Oleaceae) is one of the widespread and popular ornamental plants. Species, many varieties and forms of lilacs are always in the center of horticultural and breeding interest. The 21st century was marked by a new stormy interest in this culture. New breeding centers have appeared in different countries, including those specializing in lilacs, and now a large number of new varieties are registered almost every year. There are more and more nurseries, the range of which is expanding every year. The number of lovers of lilacs is increasing, which also contribute to the promotion of private collections, as well as the widespread introduction of a new promising assortment of this crop into the practice of urban landscaping. Lilac is also unique in that it is often and successfully used for winter forcing. And the plants themselves after forcing are kept in cold greenhouses until they are planted in the ground and / or taken out into the open air upon the onset of stable positive temperatures to form shoots, normal growth and development of plants and prepare plants for forcing for the next year. In the period from February to the end of March, it is possible to harvest cuttings from plants in greenhouses for propagating especially valuable varieties, to form a bank of exchange material with botanical institutions. The authors share this experience, when and how to cut the cuttings, how to root them, what preparations turned out to be the most successful and effective, in order to eventually get a new healthy planting material of varietal lilac.