Watch out for snails when your
The striking colours and remarkable range of different Liliums can be used both indoors and in the garden to create a beautiful display.
The range of colours is astonishing red, white, orange, lemon, pink, mixtures of two or three colours, spotted and unspotted. Some of the new hybrids have streaks of contrasting colour referred to as a 'brushmark'. The pollen is also brightly coloured and often in a contrasting hue.
The
All
Firstly, the soil the Lilium bulbs are planted in is fumigated to destroy fungus and insects that can be harmful to bulb production. The Lily bulbs are then planted in fertilised soil.
When Lilies emerge through the soil, they are
You pay a little more, but you get what you pay for. Flower buds are removed to produce strong healthy bulbs. They are then dug by hand to prevent damage to their soft skin and dipped in various chemicals to avoid fungus and insect activity.
Next, the bulbs are stored in cool rooms before being packed into
Your bulbs will be sent in winter as soon as they are dug and treated. They will arrive packed in a professional medium, but they still dislike being out of the ground and should be planted into prepared garden beds or pots containing a quality potting mix as soon as possible.
Alternatively, they can be kept in the crisper of your fridge as long as they are planted before they shoot. Most
Good light is important, although dappled shade in the afternoon is best for the pastels and
All bulbs are gross feeders as they store food for the following season. The Lilium bulb is made up of fleshy overlapping scales, like a garlic. These are actually specialised leaves, formed beneath the surface of the soil. Unlike many other perennial bulbs such as gladioli or daffodils, Liliums do not have a fibrous outer coat to protect the bulb when it is out of the ground. This means that your Lilium bulbs must never be allowed to dry out.
If you have to lift your bulbs for any reason replant immediately or store them as we do, in cool, moist conditions.
If you are growing
Remember that the Lilium has only a single stem per bulb and you must leave enough behind to feed the bulb or you will be disappointed next year.
On the work bench strip the leaves from the lower half of the cut stem and re-cut the ends immediately before placing them in water containing a flower preserver.
Your Lilies are now flowering, maintain moisture around your Lily bulbs,
The other day I went to the see the doctor in Melbourne, and took him a beautiful bunch of Lilies, he said, what I do with them? Do I need to treat the water with preservatives? Not a good idea I said. Some preservatives shorten the life of Lilies, just clean fresh water is what your Lilies want.