Lilies have an elegance few other flowers can rival. With such big, exotic-looking blossoms, it seems like they'd be tricky to grow. But they’re not! Here are eight tips for growing lilies that will help you succeed with these gorgeous summer-blooming flower bulbs.
Choose Your Type
There are more than a dozen types of lilies to choose from, in a range of different heights, flower styles and bloom times. Planting more than one type of lily opens up new opportunities to get creative with placement and pairings. It also stretches the bloom time.
Keep in mind that Asiatic and Oriental-Asiatic hybrids bloom in early summer. Midseason lilies include trumpets and species types. Last to flower are the Oriental-Trumpet hybrids and Orientals.
Plant in Spring
Though lily bulbs may be planted in spring or fall, most commercial growers don't harvest their lily bulbs until the fall. Rather than risk delivering the bulbs too late for planting, lily bulbs are usually held in coolers for the winter and made available for purchase in spring.
Handle Lily Bulbs with Care
Unlike the bulbs of tulips and daffodils, lily bulbs do not have a protective covering. When planting lilies, be sure to handle them gently to avoid breaking off the scales. The bulbs should also be planted into the garden as soon as possible so they don’t dry out. A little mold on the outer scales is normal and no cause for worry.
Give Them Sun and Good Soil
Lilies should be planted in a spot where they will get full sun or at least half day sun. In hot climates they appreciate being shaded from afternoon heat.
As with most bulbs, lilies will not tolerate soggy soil. Other than that, any good garden soil is fine. At planting time, you can encourage strong root growth by mixing in some shredded leaves or other organic matter. This will lighten the soil and help it retain moisture. In dry climates, mulching the soil surface will reduce moisture loss and keep the soil cooler.
Give Lilies Room to Shine
Though lilies don’t take up a lot of space in the garden, they also don’t like to be crowded. The plants produce a relatively small amount of foliage and all of it is right on the stem. For healthy growth and good flower production, make sure the plants have enough room around them so sunlight can reach the stems (and leaves).
Plant in Groups
Lilies look best when they are planted in clusters of 3 or more bulbs. Dig a generous planting hole 8” deep. Put some all-purpose fertilizer in the bottom of the hole and mix it around to disperse. Add a few handfuls of loose soil back into the hole and then position the bulbs so they’re 6 to 7 inches deep (follow instructions on the packaging).
Lilies also grow well in containers. Plant about 3 bulbs per 2-gallon pot. As the plants come into bloom, you can enjoy them on your patio or entryway. Or transplant them into the garden some late summer beauty. Learn more about planting and growing lilies in this article, or this video.
Plan Ahead for Cut Flowers
Lilies look beautiful in a vase. In fact, they are one of the world’s most popular cut flowers. If you want to grow your own lilies for cutting, remember that cutting the stem will remove the most of the plant’s foliage as well as its flowers. This will weaken the bulb and may prevent it from re-blooming.
The simple solution is to plant extra bulbs specifically for cutting. This way you don't need to feel bad about cutting lots of flowers with nice, long stems. Simply plant a fresh batch of lily bulbs every spring. The best lilies for cutting gardens are Asiatics, double Asiatics, LA Hybrids, Orientals and OT Hybrids. Learn more about using lilies as cut flowers HERE.
What to Do When the Flowers Fade
When your lilies finish blooming, use scissors to snip off the flowers, leaving the main stems intact. As with other bulbs, the stems should remain in place until they are completely yellow. This will give the plants time to produce the energy needed for next year’s flowers.
Once the stems turn yellow, they can be cut back to the ground or to a height of 1-2". Leaving short stems makes it easier to remember where the bulbs are located. This is helpful when you are planting additional bulbs or cleaning up the garden.
To learn more about growing lilies, you may want to read All About Lilies, How to Garden with Lilies and Bloom Times for Lilies.
