It is important not only to choose the right period, but also to correctly plant lily bulbs in the soil, to ensure proper care of lilies during the period of budding, during flowering and after it has faded.
Lilies can be planted both in spring and autumn. You can plant lilies even in summer.
When to plant lilies
Planting in spring
Spring planting is best, as we avoid the risk of the bulbs getting wet and freezing in the open ground. In the spring, the roots grow quickly, so lilies are better accepted. Spring planting is especially important for late lilies (oriental hybrids). In March, you can plant Tibetan and tiger lilies, Oriental, tubular and Asian hybrids; terry lilies are planted as soon as the snow melts and the soil thaws. The rest of the lily varieties are planted in the second half of April, protecting the bulbs from frost with a layer of mulch (sawdust, leaves, peat, compost).
Planting in autumn
In the first decade of August, they begin to dig up, divide and transplant four- and five-year-old lilies. This is due to the weakening of their flowering due to the depletion of the soil and the lack of development area for the bulbs. Sometimes lilies are transplanted more often – once every 2-3 years.
Lilies are dug up more often if there is a threat of the appearance of a pest – thrips, which eats the scales of the bulbs, or due to a strong infection of the lilies with gray rot (it is necessary to change the place of planting).
If your lilies are growing too thickly, you need to transplant them and divide the bulbs in the fall. After the end of the lily’s flowering and before its transplant, 1-1.5 months should pass in order for the bulb to gain strength – become large, dense and elastic. All factors affect this process: heat, moisture, and nutrition.
The dates for transplanting lilies can be moved to mid-to-late August or even September, this is determined by the condition of the bulbs: after flowering, the lily bulbs are very exhausted, lose mass, and become loose; scales become thin and wither.
Preparation of lily bulbs
Before planting the bulb in the ground, you need to clean it of rusty scales with brown spots, cut off rotten and withered parts, and also cut off too long roots. If the bulb of a lily bought in the spring has too large a sprout, then it should be planted at an angle.
Planting lilies
The time of year for planting lilies does not matter: both in spring and early autumn – the principle of planting is the same.
Sand is poured into the hole, a bulb is placed on it, its roots are spread, sprinkled with earth and watered abundantly so that the bulbs take root faster. If you plant oriental, Asian and LA hybrids, mulch the planting site with sawdust or peat with a layer of 5 cm. The depth of planting lily bulbs depends on their type, size and mechanical composition of the soil. Usually, the bulb is planted to a depth three times greater than the diameter of the bulb.
The distance between lily bulbs when planting depends on the height of the plants. Large lilies are planted 20-25 cm apart, short ones – at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other.
After planting lilies, it is necessary to mulch so that moisture in the soil is preserved as long as possible.