Description

Liliums have been treasured for millennia and are always popular due to their graceful, colourful appearance and many have highly fragrant scents. They range in varieties that produce from 1 or 2 right up to 10 long lasting blooms on solid stems varying in height from 30cm to 120cm. The many new hybridised forms have found great favour in both garden and container growing, but above all as a long lasting and versatile cut flower for the vase or arrangement.

Cultivation

Choice a sunny to lightly shaded location to plant liliums while keeping in mind that they like to have their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun. Natural season Lilium bulbs can be planted out from early autumn through to late winter to flower in spring, however specially treated bulbs can be planted out in spring /early summer for flowering other than spring. Plant most lilium bulbs at a depth that corresponds to twice the height of the bulb; thus a bulb that is 5cm from top to bottom should be planted with 10cm of soil over it and from 10 to 40cm apart, in a sunny or semi-shaded position.

Lilium bulbs hate wet feet and so garden soil or potting mix should be organically rich and moist but free draining. Work in some well decayed cow manure mixed with Blood and Bone, or a complete fertiliser, prior to planting. After planting out, apply a good layer of compost on top of the soil and water once weekly during growing and flowering time. A side dressing of a balanced fertilizer can be applied to the soil anytime up to but not after flowering commences.

The taller flowering Oriental and Trumpet types may require staking to prevent them from stem bending due to the weight of the flower heads. After the bulbs have finished flowering, either in containers or in the garden, remove the portion of the stem that has flowered, but leave as many leaves on the remaining plant as possible so that the plant can save strength on seed production and store the energy for next year.

The bulbs can be left undisturbed for several years until they become overcrowded, in which case lift, divide and replant after flowering in late summer/early autumn when the leaves turn yellow. Protect liliums from Aphids and Botrytis.