Throughout the summer, fragrant and vibrant lilies require little care. All that's required is watering and fertilizing to ensure lush blooms. Important stages in lily cultivation begin in the fall, preparing the plant for winter. Effective sheltering methods are required to preserve frost-hardy varieties, while more sensitive hybrids should be dug up.
Wintering of the crop
Caring for lilies in the fall involves properly preparing them for winter. Different varieties and hybrids tolerate cold temperatures differently. Some overwinter easily in the ground, while others may not survive significant cold snaps, especially in winters with little snow. Old, time-tested varieties don't need to be dug up in temperate climates, but expensive new varieties or hybrids require protection from freezing temperatures.
Optimal overwintering conditions depend on the growing region. In southern Russia and the central part of the country, bulb removal is not necessary, but this applies to royal lilies, candidums, and hybrids from the Oasis and Asiatic region. American-bred varieties are not adapted to Russian winters. It is recommended to dig them up before the onset of cold weather, in early autumn. Exposure to low temperatures will negatively impact the plant's health; the bulb may freeze and die.
Wintering characteristics of different lily varieties by region
Wild, uncultivated plants are often grown in front gardens; they don't require extensive care, so annual digging isn't necessary. For normal rhizome development and full flowering, replanting them every 3-4 years is sufficient. Plants in this group tolerate significant frosts well and can overwinter without additional cover (provided they are planted correctly), even in Siberia.
Asiatic hybrids are also low-maintenance. This is because they were bred using genes from non-cultivar varieties. These plants overwinter well in the soil, but are sensitive to the lack of cover. Natural snow cover is sufficient. If winters in the region are typically dry, the plants should be covered. It is recommended to replant mature plants every 1-2 years, otherwise the young plants will not develop fully.
LA hybrids are very beautiful plants, but they are sensitive to environmental conditions. Failure to follow proper cultivation practices can lead to the development of viral diseases. In Russia, lilies cannot survive the winter without being dug up and covered. In the southern part of the country, it is acceptable to leave the plants in the ground, carefully covering the surface. However, in Siberia and the Urals, this is unacceptable; the bulbs must be dug up and stored in a cool place.
OT hybrids, or orienpets, are the result of crossing oriental and trumpet lilies. These plants are the most demanding of the group, requiring careful care not only in summer but also in autumn. Frost resistance is very low, so it's best to dig up all planting material. The bulbs don't keep well. If stored improperly, they change their structure and become unviable.
Preparing for winter in autumn
Thorough preparing lilies for winter – the key to good growth. Regular varieties only require timely feeding and pruning, after which they will go dormant. Covering them is also not necessary; frosts are not harmful to them. OT and LA hybrids require careful care. They should not be left in the ground over the winter, as they can freeze.
Watering
Watering lilies before wintering is not necessary. These plants tolerate drought better than significantly overwatered soil. If a cold snap follows watering and the soil doesn't dry out, you risk losing all your planting material. Bulbs in damp soil will become soaked, causing rot, which will destroy the plant before spring.
Fertilization
After flowering, apply a complex fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus to each lily root. The following substances can be used:
- Superphosphate at the rate of 30 g per 1 square meter of plantings.
- Bone meal mixed with wood ash in a 1:1 ratio. Consumption rate: 100 g per 1 square meter.
- "Autumn" is a balanced potassium-phosphorus fertilizer enriched with microelements. It also contains boron and calcium. To prepare a working solution, dissolve 15 ml of the product in 10 liters of water. Apply 1 liter of the prepared mixture to each root.
Such feeding will allow the plants to mature before winter and recover after flowering. The root system and bulb will be saturated with nutrients and will survive the winter more easily. After the spring warming, the plants will begin to grow. If the lilies are not being dug up for winter storage, compost can be added to each hole when planting in the spring. The substrate will protect the roots from frost and act as additional fertilizer.
It's important not to miss the right time to apply mineral fertilizers. Doing so in the fall before or after pruning is unacceptable. The root system won't have time to absorb the minerals before frost, but it will also absorb additional moisture, which can lead to rot.
Pruning a plant
Many varieties finish blooming in midsummer, but you shouldn't rush pruning. This will harm the underground part of the plant. After flowering, nutrients remain in the stem and leaves of the lily, which must have time to be transferred to the bulb. Therefore, pruning lilies immediately after flowering will not be beneficial, as the natural process of transferring the components obtained through photosynthesis will remain incomplete.
Winter pruning is recommended to be done gradually. After flowering, the petals will fall off on their own, and a seed pod will form in their place. This should be removed to prevent the plant from wasting energy on supporting the maturation process. This concludes summer pruning. The final stage occurs in the fall. It's important to wait until the stems and leaves are dry. In the Moscow region, lilies should be prepared for winter in mid-September. The dried stem is cut off at the root with pruning shears or a small stump, 10-15 cm long, is left.
Dried leaves and stems should be cut off, regardless of the overwintering method chosen for the plant. Pest larvae and other pathogens may remain on the above-ground parts. With the spring warming, they will disappear and can harm not only lilies but also other garden crops. Plant debris should be collected and burned. If lilies are overwintered outdoors, they should be additionally treated with a copper sulfate solution for reliable protection against diseases.
How to shelter lilies in open ground for the winter
Regular garden lilies at the dacha don't require additional cover in the fall. A 10-cm layer of snow is sufficient for a full winter. If winters are light on snow, the planting area can be covered with fallen leaves, peat, or pine needles. The latter option is preferable, as the pine needles will provide additional protection from pests that overwinter in the soil.
It's important not only to lay the cover promptly, but also to remove it promptly as the snow melts. If this is done late, the sprouts will be weak and thin due to lack of sunlight and may not break through the cover. Removing the mulch when the weather first warms up is also not recommended, as the sprouts may be damaged by frost if a subsequent frost occurs.
A list of basic recommendations for preserving oriental lily hybrids in open ground conditions:
- flower beds are laid out on elevated areas;
- When planting, add a handful of sand to each hole to ensure proper drainage;
- in autumn, the area is mulched with peat or other available products;
- When the ground freezes, the plantings can be additionally covered with film.
Peat is a lightweight, dry covering that provides complete frost protection. The film will also protect the bulbs from overwatering in early spring, once the snow melts. Once the nighttime temperature rises above freezing, the top covering can be removed. It's best to leave the peat in place; it will act as additional fertilizer.
Protecting bulbs from rodents
Various methods are used to protect the bulbs of various garden plants from mice and rats during the winter. The most popular is planting the plants in special boxes with holes in the fall. This method is suitable if the planting material is limited. If the planting material is large, this can be costly, as the baskets are expensive, and one pot can only hold up to seven medium-sized bulbs.
If you have a lot of lilies in your garden, you can use folk remedies to control rodents. Three popular methods:
- Birch tar. The liquid component is mixed with sawdust or river sand and left for several hours. When planting the bulbs, add a handful of this mixture to each hole. If no other ingredients are available, the bulbs can simply be soaked for an hour before planting in a solution prepared by mixing 10 tablespoons of the mixture with 10 liters of clean water.
- Vishnevsky ointment. An old and proven method. To protect flower beds, the preparation is applied to the surface of each bulb. The active ingredients do not harm the plant itself because they are not absorbed by the tissue, but they effectively repel mice and shrews.
- Ground pepper. You can use black pepper or paprika. The powdered component should be sprinkled into each hole. Mustard powder is also used.
These rules must be followed when preparing plants for winter. This will ensure they survive the season without losing materials, and the following year you'll enjoy a blooming garden. If you break any of these rules, the plants may die, the bulb may freeze, or it may fail to bloom in the summer. It's important to know which varieties are growing in your garden. Varieties require careful care and, even if all the rules are followed, won't survive the winter in the ground. They should be dug up.
Lilies in autumn: care and preparation for winter shelter, pruning
Transplanting lilies to a new location in the fall: step-by-step tips for gardeners
Caring for lilies after flowering
The lilies have finished blooming: what to do next?