Lilies - planting and care in the open field

It is difficult to find a garden plot without delicate lilies. Florists love an unpretentious perennial that personifies purity and chastity. According to experienced gardeners, even a beginner will cope with planting lilies and leaving if he adheres to the individual nuances of growing amazing flowers.

When to buy bulbs

The bulb (an important part of the plant) is not only a source of nutrition, but also a way of breeding lilies.

To grow beautiful flowers, you need to purchase large, healthy bulbs. They are harvested throughout the year.

• Autumn is the best time to buy a grown crop for spring sowing, so a wide selection of varieties is offered. In addition, many stores offer large discounts for pre-orders. The only drawback is to preserve the flower bulbs before planting.
• You can buy planting material in the spring, but the choice is poorer, since interesting varieties have already been sorted out by lovers of lilies.
• It is convenient to buy bulbs just before planting. Purchased in a store and immediately planted in the country. But you only have to take the leftovers.
• When planning planting in the fall, the bulbs are bought at the end of August, but the assortment is also small. But it will save you from winter storage.

Lilies in the garden

How to choose healthy bulbs

Bulbs are planted in early autumn and late summer.

Planting material is sold in specialized stores in the spring. When choosing, pay attention to the appearance:

• lack of mechanical damage;
• no signs of decay are visible;
• the presence of at least four roots 4–5 cm long;
• scales are evenly colored.

Beautiful lilies grow only from large and healthy bulbs

Planting material processing

Before planting, the bulbs are disinfected by keeping them in a bright pink solution of potassium manganese for at least half an hour.

Gardeners praise means that accelerate plant growth and disinfect: epin, maxim. The soaking time of the planting material is indicated on the package.

If there are not enough healthy bulbs for planting, gardeners try to treat the diseased seed by first cleaning the damaged areas and keeping them in foundation and carbaphos.

Growing seedlings of lilies

Many gardeners believe that it is more convenient to plant flowers in early spring with seedlings. This makes it possible to observe how plants adapt, what problems arise, and it is easier to plan a flower bed.

Seedlings are grown at home in a container or pot.

1. Pour disinfected (by roasting in the oven) earth from the garden plot into it. You can save yourself from these procedures and purchase ready-made primer in the store.
2. The prepared bulbs are deepened. It is permissible to plant a lot of planting material in one pot, since the plants will be planted in a flower bed.
3. During this period, the seedlings are watered once a week. Do not feed. The main thing is to have light.

After 10 days, the bulbs germinate.

Lily from seeds: cultivation and features

Planting by seeds is one of the safest flower propagation options, but it takes longer. It will take at least four years to grow flowering lilies.

Seed material can be purchased at the store or harvested by yourself on healthy flowers. It is important to know how quickly the seeds germinate, since germinating seedlings soon appear in the first year, and in slow ones a small onion forms in the fall.

How and when to plant lily seeds

Seeds are sown directly in open ground or in a pot at home. Pre-sowing increases germination.

Seeds that take a long time to sprout are planted in late autumn so that they overwinter. The planting site is fertilized with humus, before the onset of frost, the soil is mulched with a thick layer of foliage or hay. Mulch will keep the seeds from freezing.

In late February or early March, flower seeds are laid for seedlings. A drainage layer (expanded clay) is poured into the container, peat or humus is added, then fertile soil.

Seedlings are shown in three weeks at temperatures from 19 ° C to 25 ° C. With the appearance of two leaves, a pick is carried out. By September, the crops dive a second time and are carried away to a dark room, where the temperature does not exceed 8 ° C.

In the spring, the formed small bulbs are planted in the garden in the garden

Transplanting and dividing bulbs

In August (at the end) or the first decade of September, bulbous perennials are transplanted: tulips, lilies, daffodils, so that they take root before winter.

1. The procedure is performed every four years.
2. The divided bulbs are laid in the soil prepared in advance: fertilized with organic matter and minerals.
3. Then the planting material is buried 6 cm (this will save from frost).

There are known types of lilies that need to be divided annually (Asian hybrids). The plants are carefully dug out without damaging the roots. Brown and rusty-stained scales are gently cleaned. Small onions are separated with a knife. Then they are disinfected in potassium permanganate and wet planted in the ground.

Site preparation before planting lilies

The choice of a place for planting depends on the variety of lilies. For Asian varieties, sunny areas are required, although they also grow in beds with light partial shade. Japanese, calloused, reddish, magnificent lilies are planted in semi-shaded places. The stem of the plant in the upper part should be illuminated by the sun's rays, and the lower one needs shade. For this purpose, low lawn grass or flowers are sown next to the flowers. These types of lilies in the Moscow region do not grow without a film cover.

Tubular lilies are unpretentious species. They rarely get sick, they are not damaged by pests. Flowers take root easily in any climate.

There are conditions that are common for the successful cultivation of all varieties:

• the soil in the selected area should be light, fertile;
• large trees cannot grow nearby;
• the site is chosen high, where water does not stagnate and groundwater does not accumulate;
• a place protected from drafts (if not, create artificial protection).

Correct soil preparation

Since the flowers are not transplanted every year, they grow in one place for several years, special attention is paid to the preparation of the soil.The soil is lightened, making it looser. Fertilize, increasing the nutritional value of the soil, with peat, humus, manure with sand.

Mineral fertilizers are applied to the organic-rich soil. Dig no deeper than one bayonet of the shovel.

For spring planting, the soil is prepared in the fall, and in the spring, fertilizers are applied for flowers planted before winter.

How to plant lilies correctly

Flowers are planted in spring and autumn. Each period has pros and cons. Gardeners give preference to autumn planting, since the plant has time to take root, the roots get stronger, it is easier for the flower to endure winter frosts, spasmodic spring temperatures.

What determines the choice of landing time

Experienced growers consider the period until mid-autumn to be the most suitable time for planting. It depends on the natural course of plant growth.

After flowering, lilies rest (at rest). Then the bulb grows actively and takes root. With the onset of spring heat, a peduncle bud is formed.

Sometimes the chosen variety of flowers forces gardeners to plant lilies in the spring, since not everyone can withstand the harsh winters of the central regions of the country.

Caring for lilies in the garden

To grow beautiful, healthy flowers, you need to take care of them. Caring for lilies is not much different from standard caring for other flowers:

• watered;
• loosen, remove weeds;
• feed.

Abundant watering is not necessary for lilies, as it will lead to stagnation of water, from which the roots will rot. Lack of moisture is also harmful.

In spring, flowers are watered more often, as foliage grows intensively. In the summer, watering is reduced. To keep flowering long, watered once every 7 days. When flowering is over, watering is added.

How to feed lilies for lush flowering in the garden

To make lilies bloom magnificently, they are fed.

• With the beginning of spring, the plants are fed with nitrogen. Ammonium nitrate or urea is scattered on the surface of the soil around the bushes (2 tablespoons per 1 m²).
• If the soil is dry, then watered under the roots (2 tablespoons per 10-liter watering can).
• During the summer, the plants are fed twice. During the formation of buds, one more fertilizing with minerals (phosphorus, potassium) is carried out. Dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of azofoska in a bucket (10 l) of water. At the end of flowering, the lilies are fed again, since the reserves of nutrients have been used up for an abundant color.

How to cut flowers correctly

Lilies are rarely cut.

Sometimes there is a desire to put a vase with a delicate bouquet at home.

In order not to harm the plant by pruning, they observe some nuances:

• in the afternoon in sunny weather, you cannot cut flowers, only in cloudy early morning or evening;
• a sterile knife is used, it is treated with alcohol;
• the stem is not cut off completely, a third part is left to feed the bulb;
• so that water does not stagnate at the cut site after rain, it is made obliquely.

How to prepare a lily for winter

Before the onset of winter cold weather, the flowers are prepared for wintering:

• when the stems are dry, they are cut off, leaving at least 10 cm;
• they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (nitrogen is not needed), since after flowering a bulb is formed, it needs nutrition;
• make a thick layer of mulch from foliage, sawdust, hay.

For this purpose, needles are the most suitable choice. It will protect against frost, slugs, mice.

Cover the top with material

Caring for lilies after flowering

After flowering, the underground part is strengthened, buds are formed. Nutrition comes not only from the soil. The stems and leaves (due to the process of photosynthesis) also nourish the bulb.

Lilies have faded: what to do next

Gardeners who decide to leave flowers for the winter in the ground, cut the stems of the plant, feed, cover.

Pruning lilies after flowering

If you cut off the stems without waiting for drying:

• the bulb will stop growing;
• the flower will not receive proper nutrition;
• winters badly;
• will not give a lush bloom next year.

Flowers are cut obliquely with alcohol-disinfected tools: pruning shears, scissors.

Do I need to dig lilies for the winter

Depends on a number of reasons:

• if you want to propagate the plant;
• the variety has poor frost resistance;
• the flowers show signs of the disease (the stem turns black, rot appears);
• the lilies began to grow smaller.

There is no consensus among experienced florists whether it is necessary to dig up the bulbs. But once every 5 years, when you need to dig up the lilies, it is imperative to transplant them to a new place.

Collection and storage of planting material

The dug out bulbs are carefully examined, sorted, processed:

• wash off dirt with warm water;
• diseased and damaged roots, dried scales are cut off;
• disinfect with potassium permanganate (weak solution), basezol or karbofos;
• dried in a place inaccessible to the sun;
• placed in containers (wooden or plastic), covered with sand, sawdust.

Planting material is stored in a cool room, for example, in a cellar at a temperature not exceeding 4 ° C.

If there are few bulbs, they are stored in the refrigerator, but first in a film, then wrapped in a wet canvas cloth.

Lilies: planting and care in the open field in the Urals and Siberia

In the harsh climatic conditions of the northern regions of the country, caring flower growers successfully grow lilies. The main thing is the correct choice of the variety, the knowledge of how to care for lilies in the conditions of a short cold summer.

Asian and LA hybrids are suitable for breeding in Siberia: Snezhana, Alaska, Nochka, Iskra, Navona and other varieties. Suitable pink lilies, resistant to severe frost: Marlene, Fermata, Lorena, as well as the folk orange, Sterngtiger.

In the Urals and Siberia, flowers are planted in the spring and autumn.

Bulbs are buried in a flowerbed only in warm ground, when frosts are no longer terrible (second half of May). When planted in spring, the flowers will take root, take root, overgrow with greenery, but they will be able to bloom next summer.

If the variety is frost-resistant, when planted in autumn, the bulbs will take root and winter safely. Taking care of flowers is no different from traditional grooming.

Features of growing lilies in the northern regions

With the right choice of a variety that is resistant to cold weather, temperature fluctuations, growing lilies is the same process as in the southern regions. But there are still some nuances.

It is advisable not to leave the bulbs for the winter in the ground. Despite the shelter, they can freeze slightly. And if gardeners do not dig up the bulbs, they must cover them with a layer of spruce branches. They throw in a lot of snow, because snowdrifts are an excellent covering material.

Lily diseases

Mice like to feed on bulbs of flowers, slugs like to eat juicy stems. In addition, lilies are susceptible to fungal and viral diseases.

Botrytis, or gray rot, is a frequent lily disease, manifests itself on the lower leaves, then quickly spreads throughout the flower

The causative agent of gray rot lives in plant bulbs, which is why it is so important to disinfect them. The first symptoms are the formation of round brown spots, which eventually become a rusty bloom and cover the entire plant.

Having discovered the disease, they immediately begin treatment with Bordeaux liquid, fungicidal preparations: discor, oxychom. The treatment is repeated after 10 days.

Why do lilies buds fall off without blooming

There are many factors affecting the dropping of buds:

• water scarcity. Flowers are lacking especially on hot days and get rid of buds, some of the greenery;
• fungal disease. Because of him, the flowers also shed their buds, which did not have time to open;
• botrytis (gray rot), spotting. Excess moisture causes rotting of all elements of the flower. The buds rot;
• nematode. Because of this worm, the buds dry out, the foliage begins to fall off, as the insect drinks the juices of the plant;
• lily flies, fire beetles.

When the first signs appear, you need to find the cause and treat the plants so as not to lose their flowering.

Lilies have brown leaves: what to do

The appearance of rusty and brown spots on greenery is due to the defeat of the plant by a fungal disease.

• At first, the spots cover the edges of the leaves, they look wet. Over time, dry up, move to the stems, buds.
• If the disease was noticed at the initial stage, you can try to save the lily. If the plant is completely damaged, there will be no flowering.

Frequent loosening of the soil near plantings, especially in rainy weather, will reduce the risk of disease.

If brown spots are already visible:

• the affected leaves are removed, burned;
• a completely affected plant is cut off, a stump is left no higher than 5 cm;
• the lily and the place of growth are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or other means containing copper;
• mineral fertilizers (phosphorus, potassium) are applied at the root;
• sprinkle the plant with ash.

If the disease manifests itself annually, then the place for growing lilies is not suitable, it is time to change it.

Why do lily leaves turn yellow

Foliage turns yellow for a number of reasons. The main thing is insufficient care. Others:

• lack of water. You need to water the flowers on time, especially on hot days;
• too frequent planting also causes yellowing of the leaves, the plant lacks oxygen and nutrition;
• excess water is also harmful, like a lack, due to which the foliage turns yellow;
• there is not enough or too much fertilizer;
• flowers are hungry for iron;
• from fungal, viral diseases, the leaves turn yellow.

It is possible to protect lilies from yellowing if the cause of their occurrence is established.

How to process lilies

Overgrown plantings, weeds, insufficient care of flowers lead to diseases. Caring flower growers begin the fight against diseases, insect pests from the time of planting.

The most effective method of protection is prevention. Plants need to be examined more often in order to notice the disease or insects that have flocked to the juicy stems of lilies in time.

Pest control

There are up to a dozen dangerous lovers of lilies. The most common ones are:

• curling leaves indicates a spider mite. Sprayed with phytoverm, actellik;
• the squeak beetle is clearly visible on the leaves. Against him, flowers are sprayed with decis, karbofos;
• lily fly lays eggs in buds. Processing is required three times. Apply karbofos, ditox;
• The bear eats roots, bulbs, damaging them, leaving numerous holes in the ground. Thunder or grizzly preparations are poured into them. The same funds will help against the larvae of the May beetle (crustacean).

Reproduction of lilies

Flowers can reproduce in several ways:

• bulbs;
• cuttings;
• scales.

Reproduction of lilies by scales

The method is not quite common, but frequent.

What scales look like

The scales are separated from the bulb, planted in the ground, they take root. Crops are watered a lot, as a result of which an independent plant grows.

It is advisable to perform the procedure after the autumn digging of the bulbs:

1. First, the flakes are gently washed with warm water.
2. Disinfect for a quarter of an hour in potassium permanganate.
3. Allow to dry, put in a bag with crushed charcoal (charcoal).

Within a month and a half, they are kept at a temperature of up to 23 ° C, and later they are taken to a cool place (up to 17 ° C) for a month. After that, they are stored until planting in the cellar or on the shelf of the refrigerator.

The planting hole should be no deeper than half the size of the flake.

In this way, more than a hundred new colors are obtained.

Reproduction of lilies by cuttings after flowering

When there is little planting material, gardeners, when solving the problem of how to propagate lilies, use this method.

1. Cut off the stem with a pruner after flowering almost at the base. A stick is inserted near the hemp so that the place of the flower is not lost.
2. The stem is cut into pieces of 10 cm, on which the leaves are removed from the bottom to the middle, two short (3 cm) marks (shallow) are made with a sharp knife along the cutting.
3. Immersed in a root-forming agent (any) for a couple of hours, immediately planted under a film.
4. Within two months, the cuttings will grow their own roots, later small onions will form, which are transplanted to a permanent place.

Flower stem

The stem is not always cut into pieces. A shallow horizontal hole is dug, the entire stem is placed in it, after making longitudinal cuts. Watered with epin, a mini-greenhouse is constructed over the place. Cover in the winter with peat, sawdust, snow. Onions should be formed by spring.

Propagation of lilies by bulbs

A quick and convenient way to form bulbs. Not all varieties of lilies form bulbs, but in some (for example, Asian hybrids, tubular), dozens of buds (air bulbs) form during flowering. These are the bulbs.

What do the bulbs look like?

When the buds are fully ripe, they are separated from the stem. They sometimes develop roots and even leaves.

Bulbules are harvested until they crumble (August-September), sent for storage until spring planting, or planted immediately in the fall.

Lilies are noble flowers. With a wonderful flowering, they will add originality and attractiveness to the garden plot, will decorate any landscape.