Landscape Gardening - Lilies

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 1/2peat 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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