How to plant and care for lilies

Growth environment

Growth habit

Lily is a cool-loving plant. It is relatively cold-resistant and will not grow well in high-temperature areas. It likes dryness and is afraid of moisture, and requires that the soil not be too moist, otherwise it will cause the death of the plant. Lilies are not very demanding on soil for growth, but fertile and loose sandy soil is better and more resistant to fertilizer.

Farming method (water culture, soil culture)

Lilies can be planted in pots. Plant the bulbs in the soil and take good care of them on a daily basis, and they will bloom into beautiful flowers. In addition, it can also be grown in water, which is hydroponics, and it also has a unique flavor.

Farming methods

Temperature and light

Lilies grow best at 12-18℃, but they are also relatively cold-resistant and will not freeze to death even at temperatures of 3-5℃. The suitable temperature for flowering is 16-24℃.

Since lilies like light and fear moisture, insufficient artificial lighting or excessive shade will affect the flowering of lilies. However, a little shade is still beneficial to the growth of lilies.

Water and fertilizer management

Lilies do not have high requirements for water and fertilizer. Do not water them excessively. The soil should be kept moist on a daily basis. You can spray water on the lilies to increase the air humidity, preferably 60%~80%. The amount of fertilizer required for lilies is not large, it is enough to apply fertilizer once every half a month. Top dressing is needed during the flowering period to promote flowering. The demand for nitrogen and potassium fertilizers is relatively large, and the demand for phosphorus fertilizers is relatively small.

Reproduction method

There are four main ways to propagate lilies: sowing, dividing bulblets, scale cuttings and dividing buds.

Seed propagation mainly involves harvesting seeds in autumn and sowing again in the spring of the following year. The cultivation cycle is relatively long, so this method is not commonly used in household farming.

The small bulb method mainly involves separating some small bulbs from the old bulbs of lilies in September, and then planting them in pots in the early second year. It is more suitable for home propagation of lilies.

The scale cutting method is to break off the scales on the old bulbs of lilies and use them for cuttings. This method of propagation can produce larger quantities. After a period of cultivation, the scales grow into small bulbs and can be planted in pots in the spring.

The bulbil division method of propagation is only applicable to a few species. The method is to remove the bulbils formed in the axils of the lily's aboveground stems and cultivate them. Once it grows into a large bulb, it can be planted and will usually bloom in 2 to 4 years.

Precautions

Pot soil selection

Lilies have well-developed roots, so when choosing a flower pot, you should choose a larger and deeper pot, put a mixture of leaf mold, sandy soil, garden soil, etc. in it, and apply some base fertilizer. In addition, it is best to repot lilies once a year as they grow, using new soil and fertilizer.

Pest control

Lilies have several common diseases, including lily mosaic disease, spot disease, bulb rot, leaf blight, as well as pests such as aphids, cutworms, ants, mole crickets that eat seedlings (stems), nematodes, earthworms that damage underground bulbs and bulb disks, causing the lily plants to die.

Breeding Note

Before planting, the lily bulbs should be soaked in 2 ml of silver thiosulfate solution. Potted lilies can be stored at 0-3°C for 14-28 days.

Lilies require that the pots be rotated once a week to prevent the plants from growing too tall and affecting their appearance.

After the lily blooms, the bulbs still have the ability to regenerate. You can cut off the dead leaves, dig out the bulbs and bury them in sand. Replant them the next year and they may bloom again.