When can lily bulbs be planted?

Lilies are not only often used as living room decorations to add beauty to the interior, but they also have medicinal properties. Lily, also known as white lily, strong lily, fan leek, mountain dan, inverted fairy, lily garlic, etc., is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant belonging to the genus Lilium of the Liliaceae family. The main value of lily lies in its ornamental value, and some varieties can also be used as vegetables and medicinal materials. Let’s learn together when can lily bulbs be planted?

When can lily bulbs be planted?

Lilies are usually planted in autumn or spring. The best time window for fall planting is mid-to-late October to early November, before the soil freezes. The bulbs planted at this time will not germinate in the same year, but will spend the winter in the soil and germinate early in the spring of the following year. Therefore, the seedlings, flowering and budding are earlier and the plants grow more vigorously. In areas with irrigation facilities or moderate annual precipitation, fall planting is preferred if soil moisture is appropriate. In areas with insufficient irrigation conditions or less rainfall, spring planting is more often chosen.

Lily field management

1. Management of lily seedlings

Check and replant seedlings: Be careful when operating in the field to avoid damaging the seedlings. If the stems are found to be broken or the bulbs are rotten, they should be replanted immediately to increase the survival rate.

Top dressing and weeding: As a perennial plant, lily's demand for nutrients gradually increases, especially during its second and third growth periods. After the spring thaw and before the lilies turn green again, apply 2-3 tons of high-quality farmyard manure, 20 kg of compound fertilizer and 15 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu, and carry out 2-3 tillages.

Irrigation: In areas with irrigation conditions, after the lilies emerge, water them appropriately according to the soil moisture, and cultivate the soil after it is slightly dry.

2. Management of lily growth period

Removing flower buds: Removing flower buds helps promote vegetative growth and reduce nutrient consumption. When the flower buds extend 2-3 cm from the top, remove them. Do this on a sunny morning to promote wound healing.

Loosening the soil and weeding: Loosening the soil and weeding should be done in time after rain or irrigation, especially weeds at the root zone of lilies, which should be pulled out manually to keep the field free of weeds.

Pest and disease control: Lilies are susceptible to a variety of diseases and pests during their growth period and require timely prevention and control.

3. Management of lilies from withering to winter

Spraying pesticides: At this stage, lilies are susceptible to damping-off disease, soft rot, and are easily harmed by aphids. Appropriate pesticides should be sprayed according to the condition of the disease to ensure early prevention and treatment.

Irrigation and foliar fertilization: When it is dry, hot and rainy, irrigate appropriately according to soil moisture. At the same time, use 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.3%-0.5% urea, or plant growth regulators plus a small amount of boric acid (about 2 grams per kilogram of water) for foliar spraying to promote plant growth and delay premature aging.

4. Lily wintering management

Remove dead leaves: When the stems and leaves of lilies turn yellow and dry, and the above-ground parts wither, remove the dead leaves to facilitate the growth of new stems and leaves and keep the field clean.

Soil compaction: Cover the lilies with the soil from the ridge to increase the soil thickness on the stems and promote the formation of bulbs.

Apply organic fertilizer : During the winter break, evenly spread organic fertilizer and rake the ground to help retain moisture and promote the growth of lilies next year.

5. Lily Harvest

Autumn harvesting is in early to mid-October, when the temperature drops below 12 degrees, the bulbs no longer gain weight, and they are harvested when they reach the quality standards of finished lilies. Spring harvest is carried out in mid to late March.

Use a shovel to dig deep to the base of the bulb, avoiding damaging the bulb, and dig out one by one in the same row. Remove the dead leaves from the dug lilies, pick the small bulbs, wipe off the soil, cut the fibrous roots to 1 cm, and store them for sale after grading.

Generally, after three years of breeding with first-grade bulbs, while harvesting finished lilies, each acre can harvest enough bulbs for field planting next year and half an acre of third-grade bulbs.

In general, autumn and spring are suitable periods for planting lily bulbs. The specific time to choose depends on local climate and soil conditions.