Lily potting help please

Hi everyone, my wife bought some lily bulbs from wilko today, I grew some asiatic last year but there are some oriental and tower lily bulbs which I've never grown before and some bulbs are already sprouting in the bags so I think they need to be in pots asap, if I remember correctly I used a 2:1 mix of JI no3 : grit for the asiatic but have no idea about the oriental or tower, any help would be much appreciated.

 

I was seriously thinking about writing a bit of an article on lilies.

Lilies are hungry so & so's, therefore regular feeding is needed. I suggest a liquid feed say every two weeks.

Prior to planting, check the bulbs and carefully remove any damaged or mouldy scales.

Don't be skimpy with thw size of the pot. The compost must be free draining. Lily bulbs are very prone to rotting, and as even now, lily bulbs are not among the cheapest, especially if you wish to grow the species and or rarer ones.

Sadly very few gardeners still, 'crock' their pots, possibly due to the fact that most use plastic or fibre pots that have several drainage holes. Having over the years lost many bulbs due to neglecting this factor, I strongly advise it. About an inch and a half to two inches of crocks will do. Now put down a layer of compost about the depth of the bulb. Cover this with a liberal layer of horticultural grit and sit the bulb down.

A tip about watering. Try and avoid watering directly over the bulb. As the bulb is made up scales, water can become trapped in between the scales and in the case of Martagon lilies, this will quickly rot the bulb. Whether planting in pots or the open ground. If the possibility of such a disaster, then slightly tilt the bulb when seating it on the grit. The sprouting shoot will soon straighten itself up.

Most lily bulbs can be planted say double their own depth, sometimes a bit deeper won't hurt. I'd stop at three times the depth.

I strongly advise all growers to check the pH for each bulb. Some prefer a pH on the acid side, others more alkaline and some will be happy with a basic neutral.

Growin in pots/containers. I prefer to stick at a maximum of three bulbs. Not always realised but, bulbs do tend to move around a bit. If you intend staking, then insert the stakes at the same time as planting, otherwise you may harpoon th bulb, also insert the stake behind the bulb, eg; toward the center of the pot.

Perhaps finally for now. Check whether the bulb is stem rooting. If so. Then just cover the bulb to start with, as growth increases, roots will be seen sprouting out further up the stem. This can happen 3-4 times. Each time carefully add compost to cover the roots.

The fully grown lily now has some new benefits. If it flowers, then following the flower a seed pod will develop. A possible future supply of seed. It usually takes two to four years for seedinings to flower. Another source of gaining new plants. Many bulb/plants will produce tiny bulbils in the leaf axils. Leave these to grow and just prior to removing the growing stem, by giving it a gentle twist and pull. The bulbils can the be planted in seed trays and grown on.
If and when, optional the bulbs are lifted, oftren new bulblets will have formed around the baseplate. These can be planted in trays and grown on. As the bulbs increase in time, scales can be removed and inserted in sandy compost in trays and grown on.
I do hope this information will prove useful. Finally. I wish all lily growers all the best.

 

Are you growing them in pots ? I assume you are. I use one third Multipurpose compost - third JI no3 - third sand /grit .

You'll need a heavy pot for the tree lilys, probably better in the garden they get taller but will grow fine in a pot.

If I was you I buy some more bulbs, twos don't look right especially in pots ( my opinion ) , Ideally at least 3 or 5 but I just buy another pack to make 4 + each. They used to sell them in 3s annoyingly most of gone to a pack of 2.