LILIUM

LILY / Lilium Species

GROWNING LILY WITH EARTHWORMS
Lilium is a tall aristocratic favorite cut flower and garden favorites. True lilies are traditionally hard to grow; however, recent hybrids have grown sturdier and bloom gloriously if given the right conditions. Don’t confuse lily with day lily that is maintenance free.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF LILY:
Perennial
Division 1. Asiatic Hybrids-hardy to –30 degree F / -35 degree C, blooms early summer; Connecticut king-2.5 to 3 feet tall, golden yellow; coral sunrise-3 to 4 feet tall, coral-pink, flush peach-yellow; enchantment-3 to 4 feet tall, orange-red; luxor-3 to 4 feet tall, light yellow with apricot; marissa-2 to 3 feet tall, peach with apricot and gold; shirly-3 to 4 feet tall, white with pink at center; sorbet-3 to 4 feet tall, white with burgundy edge.
Division 2. Martagon Hubrids-hardy to –30 degree F / -35 degree C.
Division 3. Candidum Hybribs-hardy to –20 degree F / -29 degree C.
Division 4. Americam Hybrids-hardy to –10 degree F / -23 degree C
Division 5. Longiflorum Hybrids-hardiness  to –20 degree F / 29 degree C.
Division 6. Aurelian Hybrids-hardy to –30 degree F / -35 degree C.
Division 7. Oriental Hybrids-hardy to –20 degree F / 29 degree C, blooms late summer with large fragrant flowers; Blushing pink-5 feet tall, soft pink; casa blanca-4 feet tall, very fragrant white; dolce vita-3 to 4 feet tall, rose-pink; emmely-3 to 5 feet tall, pink with white edges and a deeper pink strip to the center of the petals; mediterranee-2.5 to 3.5 feet tall, rich pink; pink paramount-3 to 3.5 feet tall, fragrant clear pink; sans souci-2 feet tall, crimson with white edges; silver elegance-4 to 5 feet tall, white with red spots; star gazer-2.5 to 3 feet, deep reddish pink with white edges.

SIZE:                                      2 to 8 feet
BLOOM TIME:                     Spring, summer and autumn
LIGHT:                                   Filtered or shaded away from direct sun; full sun only if summer is cool.
TIME TO PLANT:               Fall or spring        
COLORS:                               yellow, white, orange, cream, apricot, maroon, lilac, purple and pink                         
SOIL TYPE:                           Well-drained soil, moist before and during bloom
PLANT DEPTH:                   Varies depending on type 
HARDINESS:                        Zones 4 to 8

HOW TO SELECT LILY BUBS:
Lilium is a true bulb, when buying bulbs, it is best to buy locally so that you can see what you are getting. It is important to shop early as soon as the bulbs appear in stores. Because the longer the bulbs are in storage, the more moisture it will loose. This definitely affects the blooms the following years. Handle bulbs with care, check each bulb carefully and stay clear of any bulbs with mushy gray spots, with any mold, with exceptionally lightweight or with any damage.  The base of the bulbs should be firm and solid. If you order by mail, unpack the bulbs as soon as they arrive. Even though they are dormant when you buy them, they are still alive and are affected by what you do to them or where you put them. If they get too wet, they will rot; if they are left out under the sun’s heat, they will dry out; if they are sealed in plastic bag too long, they will suffocate.

HOW TO PLANT AND CARE FOR LILY:
Lilies have three basic requirements: deep, loose, well-drained soil and ample moisture year-round, roots require coolness of shade while the top of the plant where flowers form need some sun, filtered or shaded. Amend the soil where you plan to plant the lily by digging and mixing the soil with the potting mix described below. Plant lilies in an area of filtered sun or partially shaded during most of the day. Plants are heavy feeders and benefit from one to two applications of organic fertilizers in spring. Soil must be rich in compost, leaf mold, and earthworm castings, also add a few dozen live earthworms regularly to replenish the soil with earthworm castings. Tall lilies have to be staked to prevent stems from being bent and damaged by strong winds. During dry weather, water the plants once a week until they bloom, after blooming, plants require drier conditions. Too much moisture and heat around the bulb after blooming time will rot the bulbs.

HOW TO DO THE EARTHWORM POTTING MIX FOR CONTAINER OR POT CULTURE OF LILIUM:
Lily is fine container plants. The following is a simple mixture for container culture bedding of lily.
1 part peat moss.
1 part other organic material such as earthworm castings, compost. Leaf mold or Nitrogen stabilized bark.  1 part builders’ sand.
After preparing the organic potting mix, place one bulb in a 5 – 7 inches deep pot or five bulbs in a 14 – 16 inches pot. Fill pot 1/3 full of the potting mix and place bulb with roots spread and pointing downward, cover with an inch of soil and water immediately and thoroughly, move this pot to a shaded area.  Dig a small ½ inch hole beside the plant the next day and put a dozen live earthworms into it, then cover the earthworm with soil so that birds won’t come and pick them up right away.

HOW TO FIX PEST AND PROBLEM OF LILY:
Lily resent hot soil and too much moisture after their blooming season in summer. To prevent bulbs from rotting in this condition; either mulch them or plant over them, annuals or put ground covering to partially shade them from sun. viral or mosaic infection is a problem. There is no cure for it, simply dig and destroy the affected bulb which may be seem as mottling in leaves or seriously stunted growth. Control aphids, which spread the infections. Control botrytis blight, a fungal disease with sulfur powder. Gophers also relish lily bulbs, use screen to enclose the whole Lily bedding to discourage gophers, if gophers are a problem in your area..

HOW TO PROPAGATE LILY:
Propagate asiatic lilies by dividing the clumps in fall and replant them immediately or collecting and planting  bulbils after they form in leaf axils. propagate tiger lilies by digging, collecting , small bulblets that form underground on top of the main bulb, replanting these bulbs will take 3 years to grow to blooming size. You can also collect seeds from trumpet lilies when seed pods are dry. Plants grown from seeds may not be true to parent’s trait.

HOW TO STORE LILY BULBS:
Gardeners in zones 9 to 11 can dig and refrigerate the bulbs for two months before planting in spring. Gardeners of other zones that have cooler winter will just leave the lily in the garden and mulch them over winter.