Lily bulbs

[lyndap]

Do you have to replace lily bulbs each year or do you lift and overwinter them, then replant to grow next year?I'm no good with bulb plants, but my daughter loves exotic flowers but keeps asking me how to plant/grow them and I dont have a clue .She has some nice ones growing at the moment but doesnt know what to do with them after they have finished flowering,and I'm blowed if I know

[nick the grief]

This may help Lyndap.

http://www.caercath.co.uk/the_lily_place/

[JennieAtkinson]

I planted loads last year as it was my son's wedding, but by the time the wedding came they had all been and gone! Left them in the ground all winter and they have come up superbly this year, I would say even doubled in the numbers.

Think I might make them my no. 1 plant and go for lots of different varieties. I love the turks heads (someone has planted loads in the garden previously) but the big "blousy" ones, that look so exotic, have done really well too. Lovely scent as well. Am I beginning to wax lyrical ???????????

[Alice]

I just leave them in the ground or the tubs Lyndap, and they do great.

[SueA]

I grow most of mine in pots Lyndap & just push them against the house wall during winter & put others under a tree by the fence. Most will survive in the ground but one or two can be a bit tender so might need a mulch over them. Mine are mostly orientals & don't mind being cold but don't like to be too wet over winter.

[FoxHillGardener]

Mine are on to their fourth year in big pots and are doing great. I just give them a bit of a new compost as a top dressing in the spring and some tomato feed after they've flowered - ifI remember to!

[bramble]

Same here. Mine are allo in containers. I bring them into the greenhouse during the winter. The only reason i do this is, i have the space as not much in the greenhouse in the winter. I cover them with fleece and some are about six year old and still going well.

[pigletwillie]

Mine were in their third year in pots but I had them out this year and have potted all of the small bulbils into pots of their own. The upshot being that my lillies have now quadroupled in number with two of the three extra pots having some flowers. These should put on a good show next year.

Its well worth thining them out somewhat to prevent congestion and a bonus is that you get free plants.

[nick the grief]

You can save the scales off them as well.

1. You take them of as carefull as poss choising the plump healthy ones
2. Let them dry for an hour or so then put them in a freezer bag with som damp (not wet) Vermiculite
3. write on the bag the name (if you know it)
4. inflate & seal then shake gently to make sure they are all coated in the vermiculite
5. place somewhere warm & shady (under your desk)

Check regular & inflate the bag if it goes down. If they dry out give a couple of sprays or water to damp them again. Remove any that are starting to rot & in a month or so they should start to grow little plants (bulblets) on them.

Pot them up into cell packs (1 per cell) & grow on feed with some dilute tomato feed at every watering.

They should flower in a couple of years