How to Plant and Care for Lily Flowers

Have you always dreamed of growing beautiful lilies in your garden? The idea of growing your very own lilies might be slight intimidating – especially if you’re a novice gardener, but the fact is they are not as complicated to grow as you might believe. They are actually quite easy to maintain. Growing your own lilies is a rewarding experience for even the most experienced gardener. These big and bright flowers are loved by all and have an elegance and beauty that one can’t deny. As long as you know what you are doing, you can have these stunning flowers growing in your garden very soon. Below you will find some helpful planting instructions that will help you achieve your dream of growing lilies. Follow our instructions and you can have thriving lilies for years.

The Preparations

    As lilies grow all over the place, it would be best to add some sort of plastic support on which they can grow. The stability from the plastic support will ensure that the stems will remain intact and that they will not break off during their growth because of the heaviness of the flowers.

Start Planting

    It is best to grow lilies in your garden. And they should, ideally, be planted in late-August - although they can be left until spring at the very latest. Find an area in your garden with well drained soil and in the position of direct sunlight. You should keep in mind that lilies are very sun-loving. Plant your lily bulbs into the soil with the roots pointing downwards. They should be planted about 5 inches deep. Add fertilizer and then cover them with a 14cm covering of compost and do not disrupt the bulbs for six weeks. They do not require a lot of watering, but if the soil is dry make sure to water the soil so that it reaches the bulb. Don’t over water the leaves and flowers as this will cause a lot of damage in many ways. As time passes, the bulbs will grow and the stems will thicken. It is possible that the plant will grow to about 2 meters high. 

Growing Lilies In Pots

    If you don’t have a garden and you have to grow lilies in pots, you will need three bulbs and a bag of good quality potting mix. Lilies grow well in pots and look terrific placed on your balcony or terrace. In your pot, plant all bulbs about 9 cm deep and feed them with bulb food. After they have grown about 9 – 10 cm high, attach each plant to a stake. Remember to water them once a week – don’t over water them. Add mulch to the soil so that it retains the moisture. The great thing about lilies is that they can survive through the cold weather and will not die or get damaged in any way. As long as it is a mildly cold area and there is no frost, lilies can be left outside in a container all year round. Isn’t that just wonderful?

Caring For Your Lilies

    Once you’ve managed to grow your first lilies, don’t forget to pay special care for them regularly. Lilies are prone to attracting slugs so you need to protect your plants by adding a cloth to the base of your pot and this will not allow slugs or snails to enter. However, if you do see slugs, pick them off immediately before they cause any damage. Adding slug pellets will also help prevent them from eating your lilies.

Watering

    Make sure your lilies are kept moist. If the soil is very dry, water it well at the base so that it reaches the lily bulb.

    Growing lilies in your home or garden will definitely add beauty and fragrance to the whole atmosphere. Moreover, lilies make a perfect accent in every bouquet. You can combine them with creamy white roses and peach germini to make them look even more charming.

    As you can see lilies don’t require a lot of maintenance, nor are they complicated to grow. Stop hesitating and start planting your bulbs this autumn!