Lillies
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Lilies provide you with the most spectacular of cut flowers and can become the crowning glory of
your garden. These days their "hard to grow" reputation is quite unfounded. Hybrid lilies have set
new standards in size, vigor and disease resistance.
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Growing Requirements:
Unlike most bulbs, lilies never go dormant so they must never
be allowed to dry out. It's best to plant lilies right after purchasing them. We don't recommend
storing them — but if you must wait, place your bulbs on a nursery flat filled with moist peat moss and
set it in a cool, dark location until planting time.
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With lilies, the secret to success with lilies lies in the
soil. The ideal soil situation will reward you with tall, healthy plants and fantastic flowers year after year. Lilies have three basic and
very important cultural requirements:
1. Plant in deep, loose, fast-draining soil
2. Ample moisture during the active and inactive growth period
3. Coolness and shade at the roots, sun (or bright filtered light) at the tops
Before planting your bulbs, cut off any injured portions and dust the cuts with a fungicide
like Cooke's.
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Location:
Most lilies love a sunny location — but a little shade during the late afternoon is okay.
In hotter inland areas, lilies will need lots of morning sun and some afternoon shade, or very
bright filtered light all day long.
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Preparing the Soil:
Dig a hole 18" wide and 12" deep for three lily buds. Do not save
any existing native soil. Use a mixture of
1/2 Roger's Planting Mix and
1/2 peat moss.
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Planting Depth:
General rules on planting depth for lilies is to cover:
Small bulbs with 2 to 3 inches of soil
Medium bulbs with 3 to 4 inches of soil
Large bulbs with 4 to 6 inches of soil
Please note: Madonna lilies need only one inch of soil over them.
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nuggle your lily bulbs into this cushiony base
and carefully spread the roots out in a natural fashion.
Add a little more sand to hold bulbs in place.
Fill the hole part way with the new soil mixture.
Cover this with a 2" layer of washed builder's sand.
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Watering:
After planting, water the area thoroughly. Apply water to the entire soil surface
and long enough on the planting hole area to completely saturate it. Using Kellogg's Topper or Leaf
Mold, spread a layer of much over the surface to conserve moisture.
Remember: Lilies must never be allowed to dry out. Water regularly twice a week during the
active growth period (February through September) and once a week during the less active growth
period (generally October through January).
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After Bloom Care:
Cut off the faded flowers before seed pods develop. This will
maintain the strength of the plant. At the end of the blooming season the leaves will begin to turn yellow.
Reduce your watering at this point. Allow stems (stalks) to die back naturally — do not cut off
until stems turn brown. Once your plants have died back, it will be a good time to propagate.
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Propagation:
Lilies are by far the easiest of all bulbs to propagate. The best way to
propagate lilies is to use the scales on the bulb. Each one of these scales will product 3 to 5 bulblets that
will become full lily bulbs, providing you follow these steps:
1. Carefully dig up bulb and pull off a few scales.
2. Dilute
11/2 tsp. of Cooke's Fungicide in a quart of water and soak a small mixture of
1/2 peat moss and
1/2 vermiculite. Allow to drain. Using gloves, press out all excess moisture.
3. Using a zip lock plastic bag as a mini-greenhouse, places scales in the
pre-moistened mixture. Secure bag tightly and punch 2 holes at the top.
4. Place the bag in a protected spot where temperature remains around 68-80 degrees.
5. After 6 weeks, check to see if the tiny bulblets are forming at the base of each scale.
Once the bulblets have reached to size of a pea, place the bag in a refrigerator for 2 to 3 months.
6. Take bag out of refrigerator. With bulblet still attached to the scale, plant the scales
in small 4 inch size pots using Roger's Potting Soil. Set in a protected, but somewhat
bright area.
7. In late February or early March carefully separate the bulblet from the scale, taking
care to protect the young tender roots. Plant the bulbs out in the garden as you would a
mature lily bulb — but not as deep. Cover with 2 inches of soil. Now they are ready to grow.
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