Growing liliums
Liliums, the true lilies, aren’t grown as much as they deserve to be. Perhaps, with their cool elegance, they look so perfect in florist’s bunches it’s hard to imagine them in the ground. But liliums are surprisingly easy to cultivate and, with about 100 species and thousands of cultivars, there’s one for every garden.
The most popular is likely to be the pure white Lilium longiflorum that is known either as the Christmas lily in cool climates, or the November lily in warmer parts. Clearly its common name is dictated by variations in flowering times.
The packaged liliums that are available in the shops at this time of year are often grouped into two loose categories: ‘Oriental’ and ‘Asiatic’. Asiatic lilies have beautiful, trumpet-shaped blooms. The dramatic, bowl-shaped Orientals, with their jewel-like colours and heady perfume, are even more stunning.
Lilies grow from a clustered bulb that should be planted as soon as possible after purchase. Other bulbs, notably onions, tulips and daffodils, have thick outer skins that help protect the bulb during dry periods. Not so liliums – for them, drying out is fatal.
For this reason it’s best to do all your soil preparation before purchase. A spot that gets morning sun and protection from the afternoon heat will be most suitable. Make sure the soil is well drained and is enriched with some organic matter. This must be lime-free, as most liliums prefer acidic conditions (composted leaf mould mixed with aged, processed cow manure would be ideal).
Remove the bulb from its packaging and plant into a hole that’s about 15cm deep. Top with soil, then mulch with more leaf litter as the shoots begin to emerge. The smooth, tender new shoots are very attractive to snails and slugs, so sprinkle a few Blitzem or Baysol pellets around them from time to time. If the bulb is a tall grower (and some can reach up to a metre) it may need support. Stakes should be pushed into place at planting time to avoid damaging the bulb.
Towards the end of winter, feed liliums with a complete fertiliser. Garden Gold or Yates Acticote are both good choices because they continue releasing nutrients over a long period. Give the plants enough water to keep the soil moist but don’t let the bulbs stay wet for any length of time. Pest problems are minimal but it’s wise to keep a Yates Rose Gun on hand so that pests and diseases can be treated as soon as they appear.
Liliums flower through spring and summer, depending on the variety, so a good selection will provide blooms for months. They’re wonderful cut flowers but, when picking, make sure you leave some stalk with leaves on it. Like all bulbs, a lily’s performance will depend very much on the goodness that was stored in the previous year. Leaves are needed to build up the bulb for the future.
