Lilies came to Europe from Japan and China, where they have long decorated numerous gardens.Growing liliesis becoming more and more popular as growers get new, more and more interestingvarieties of liliesThanks to this, beautifulgarden lilies are widely available , perfect for growing in our climate. Seehow and when to plant liliesgarden lilies, which lily varieties to choose and how to grow lilies in the garden.
Lily 'Conca d'Or' belongs to the so-called orienpets, derived from the crossing of trumpet varieties with oriental lilies. It blooms from June to July in a cream-yellow color.
Garden lilies - varieties
Individualvarieties of liliesdiffer significantly from each other, so these plants can be widely used in the garden. In the bedsgarden liliesare the perfect partner for many annuals and perennials. Due to the variety of colors (yellow, pink, orange, red, white and all intermediate colors), they are a sought-after companion for blue and purple perennials such as mossy sage, hazelnut and asters. The colorful lilies will be the perfect accent for the funkia.
The next place wheregarden lilieswill present themselves properly is the stands around deciduous shrubs with brown-green colors, with which they will perfectly contrast, as well as for these shrubs and conifers which, like lilies, require a little more moisture. The lowest of the lilies, which do not exceed a height of 50 cm, can be used as a rockery.
Due to the great variety, lilies are divided into 9 groups:
- Asiatic liliessuch as L. cernuum and L. Davidii, this is the most numerous group ofgarden lilies , blooming from June to early August in a wide range of colors,
- lilies formed from the crosses of L. martagon and L. hansonii , which are best grown in slightly alkaline, humus soils, in a slightly shaded position, these lilies grow strongly, the flowers are small, most often turban-shaped, set on long stalks,
- hybrids of L. candidum and L. chalcedonicum , this is a small group, quite difficult to grow in our climate and therefore also rare, they like sunny and alkaline soils,
- American lilies , hybrids of American species, characterized by vigorous growth and turban-shaped flowers, usually orange or yellow with black dots, thrives best in light shade, acidic soils and well drained,
- lilies formed from the crosses of L. longif.webplorum and L. formosanum , creating magnificent white trumpet flowers, but in our climate they cannot winter in the ground,
- trumpet liliesand L. henryi hybrids, creating large fragrant flowers, do not bloom until the second year of cultivation,
- Oriental lilies , mainly from Japanese species, are not resistant to low temperatures, they are also damaged by cold and rain during summer, but their flowers are considered to be one of the most beautiful, like acidic soil,
- other hybrids , so-called intergroups, i.e. resulting from the crossing of varieties from distant groups,
- botanical lilies , i.e. species and their botanical varieties.
How and when to plant lilies
Garden liliesare best planted in humus-rich, loose and well-drained soils. These plants are sensitive to excess water in the soil, therefore, if the soil in our garden is too heavy, we can plant lilies on elevated beds, where the level of planting bulbs is equal to the level of passages between the beds.This should ensure sufficient drainage of excess water from the soil.
How to plant lilies?
Plant the lilies immediately after purchase, while they are still fresh. Under no circumstances should you buy dry or wrinkled bulbs. We plant the onions at a depth of 2.5 - 3 times the height of the onion. Usually it will be 10 - 15 cm deep.
When to plant lilies?
In stores, the largest selection of lily bulbs is in the spring. In favorable weather, the most frost-resistant species are planted from March, but most oftenplanting lilies in springis done from the second half of April to the beginning of May. The spring planting time is especially good for late-flowering varieties. The second possible datelily planting in the fall- from September to the second decade of October. The treatment should not be delayed any further, because the bulbs must have time to root before the frost sets in. Lilies planted in autumn are covered with peat or shredded with bark, and in case of severe frosts, additionally with straw or leaves.
The exception to the above rules is Lillium candidum, which is planted in late summer, quite shallow (only 2.5 cm deep).
The tiger lily is a botanical species. It produces red-orange, purple-flecked, turban flowers on Wed. up to 10 cm, which we can admire in July and August
garden lilies - cultivation
Garden liliesshould be fertilized and watered regularly (water the lilies regularly, but so that the soil is only slightly moist). This is especially true in the summer when these plants are in bloom. It is also beneficial to mulch the soil. Composted pine bark or garden peat can be used as mulch. Such mulch helps to maintain proper soil moisture and its acidic reaction (beneficial for most varieties, except for hybrids of L. candidum and L. chalcedonicum), and also prevents weeds from growing and the soil from overheating in summer heat.It therefore makesgrowing liliesin the garden much easier.
Asiatic liliestolerate our climate well and overwinter in the soil without any problems. However, it is worth covering them with peat, bark or sawdust for the winter.Oriental liliesshow high sensitivity to frost. Therefore, in the case of outdoor crops, their bulbs should be stored in dry peat at 2 ° C over the winter.
Lilies in a pot
Lilies can also be grown in pots. The pots, however, must be deep enough, as some bulbs need to be planted even several centimeters deep. Therefore, a suitable pot for lilies is one that is 30 to 40 cm deep. In order to keep the soil moist, 1/4 of the clay can be added to the garden soil. Remember to water and fertilize regularly, especially whenpotted liliesare blooming. Naturally, only low species andvarieties of liliesare suitable for growing in pots, mainly lowAsiatic liliesandOriental lilies
Lily 'Pink Heaven' shimmers in shades of pink and white
Reproduction of lilies
Garden liliescan be propagated by air bulbs, adventitious bulbs, seeds, scales and by division. So there are quite a few ways toreproduce lilies .
The easiest way will be to propagate species (including L. lancifolium and L. bulbiferum) forming air bulbs in leaf axils and adventitious bulbs at the base of an older, flowering shoot. We collect air bulbs at the end of summer, when they are ripe. In order to obtain the adventitious bulbs, the plant should be dug up, the bulbs should be separated, and then the main onion should be re-planted. Place the collected bulbs in pots with a moist, clay-sandy substrate. Cover them with gravel on top and store them in a cold inspection until spring. We bring them to the ground next autumn.
An important method forreproducing liliesis reproducing by the scales.Well, if we separate the husks from the mother onion so that they contain a piece of the heel, they can form small adventitious bulbs. The scales are subtracted at the turn of summer and autumn. We take them only from onions that are already dormant. The scales obtained should be sprinkled with a fungicide (antifungal agent) and placed in a litter box filled with a mixture of garden perlite, peat and coarse sand. Keep the litter boxes in the shade at about 21 ° C and water. After 2 months, we move them to a cool place to stimulate leaf growth. After that, the bulbs are transplanted one at a time and grown in pots for another year before placing them in the ground.
Breeding lilies from seedsis more laborious and takes quite a long time, I will not discuss it here. It is worth mentioning, however, that in professional cultivation, propagating lilies from seeds allows you to obtain viable and virus-free bulbs. Hybrids of L. longif.webplorum and L. formosanum are most often reproduced in this way.
