When is the best time to dig up lilies (do lilies need to be dug up and replanted every winter)

Do I need to dig lilies every year?

Generally speaking, lilies need to be dug out , and the dug-out lily bulbs can be planted again next year. If the temperature in the planting area is low, it is recommended to dig out the lily bulbs in winter.

However, you can still maintain the lilies as usual without digging them out. After the lilies have faded, cut off the flower stems and the flower diameter, but do not cut them all the way to the roots. Leave some branches and leaves to allow them to continue photosynthesis and provide space for the bulbs to grow.

What is the best month to dig up lilies?

Lily is a perennial plant that is not only easy to grow, but also produces very beautiful flowers in various colors and with a fragrant smell. It is very elegant and beautiful.

Its flowering period is around May. After the flowers fade and autumn comes, the leaves will wither. Many people think that this is the entire growth cycle of lily in a year.

But in fact, after the lily blooms, the upper branches are cut off. The lower bulbs are dug out after the flowers fade, and they can continue to grow and reproduce in the autumn of the following year. Generally, they are planted in August or September in autumn, and the survival rate is relatively high if planted at this time.

If it is edible lily, it is usually dug on a sunny day around the Great Heat Festival (late July), as it tastes best . After harvesting, cut off the above-ground part, fibrous roots and seed roots, and store them in a ventilated place.

How to propagate lilies

Lily reproduction is divided into sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction. There are three methods of asexual reproduction: seed bulb reproduction, scale reproduction and bulbil reproduction. Sexual reproduction is reproduction by seeds. The following is a detailed introduction to various reproduction methods.

Scale reproduction

Dig up the lily bulbs in autumn and remove the dried scales on the outside. Peel off the second and third layers of scales. The scales should be thick and have a partial base. Such scales store more nutrients and are easy to germinate bulbs.

Then clean the peeled scales and plant them in the culture soil, leaving half of them outside the soil. Keep the soil moist and the temperature at around 20 degrees Celsius. After 15-20 minutes, you will see small bulbs emerging.

Bulb propagation

Lilies have a strong ability to sprout. The mature bulbs near the ground tend to grow small seed balls, which can be used for reproduction. Pick the seed balls, store them in sandy soil, and plant them in the spring of the following year. In 2-3 years, they will grow into a new lily plant.

Bulbous propagation

Bulb propagation is generally carried out from the end of September to the beginning of October. At this time of year, some small bulbs will grow from the roots of lily plants. These small bulbs are what people often call bulbils. When the bulbils turn purple-black, it means that the bulbils are mature.

Pick the mature bulbils, sow them into the culture soil, cover them with a 3 cm thick layer of soil, and place them in a cool and ventilated place for maintenance. They will germinate soon.

Seed propagation

This is the only way of sexual reproduction. When the lily fruit cracks, there will be many seeds inside. Collect these seeds and sow them on the seedbed in the spring or autumn of next year. Control the temperature between 12-15 degrees Celsius and they will germinate in 20-30 days.