Category Archives: FAQ

Feeding lilies

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This question was asked by
– Chris – 

I have quite of lot oriental Lilies from you but are unsure when or if I should feed planted bulbs.
Thank you

Thank you for getting in touch — that’s a great question!

Once you start to see shoots emerging above the soil, you can begin feeding with a balanced liquid feed every couple of weeks. This will help support strong growth and plenty of flowers.

You can feed your lilies with a Tomato Feed to stimulate and strengthen your lilies when you start to see signs of growth. Make up your tomato feed with half the recommended dilution (written on the instructions on the bottle) and feed once every 3 weeks.


The Hart Family

Lily bulbs re plant

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This question was asked by
– Rob Williams – 

Good morning.
My Lillie bulbs which I purchased from you over the years, have been in pots for three years.
Shall I repot with fresh compost and fertilizer.
Also do I cut the roots from the bulb and take off the small niblet bulbs.
You’re advice would be so appreciated.
Ps just ordered more bulbs and Dahlias .
Your bulbs etc are superb THANKS
Rob

split lily bulbs

Lilies can benefit from being lifted and divided after a number of years, especially if they’ve become less vigorous. Over time, lily bulbs can become congested, or the soil may become depleted of nutrients, both of which can affect their performance.

Here’s what we recommend:

When to lift them:

  • Late autumn/early winter is ideal — once the foliage has died back naturally.
  • Alternatively, you can lift them in early spring before new growth really takes off.

How to lift and replant:

  • Gently dig them up with a fork (avoid slicing through the bulbs).
  • Brush off excess soil and inspect the bulbs — you may find smaller bulblets around the base.
  • Divide if needed — you can gently separate any offsets and replant them to encourage more flowers in future years.

Replant in a fresh spot with:

  • Free-draining soil (add grit if needed)
  • A sunny or partially shaded spot
  • A generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure to refresh the soil
  • Plant at a depth of about 3 times the height of the bulb and water them in well.

Extra tips:

  • Avoid waterlogged areas.
  • Consider rotating them into a new bed every 5–7 years to reduce the risk of disease or tired soil.
  • Adding a bit of bonemeal or bulb fertiliser when planting will also give them a boost.

With a little refresh, your lilies should bounce back beautifully and continue to delight you for years to come. Let us know how you get on!

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The Hart Family

Late Lily Division

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This question was asked by
– Christina – 

Good morning.

I was meant to divide my pot grown oriental lilies in late autumn but I was unwell and the weather has been very wet where I live so couldn’t do it recently. I am wondering if I can still lift and divide them in December or early January or is this too late? They have been growing in the same pot for a number of years and they really do need separated. I also had to leave them uncovered through these last few weeks due to my illness and they have been getting rained on and wondered if this would affect them.at all as I know they don’t really like being overly wet in winter. Hopefully you can help as don’t want them.to be left much longer and for them to go to waste.

Kind regards.

split lily bulbs

Thank you for your message. I hope you’re feeling better now!

You can still lift and divide your pot-grown oriental lilies in early January, even if it’s later than usual. At this stage, they will be dormant, which actually makes it a good time to separate the bulbs carefully without causing too much stress. Just take care when handling them so as not to damage the roots or bulbs.

Regarding the wet weather and exposure to rain: while oriental lilies prefer well-drained soil and don’t like sitting in waterlogged conditions, a few weeks of rain while dormant isn’t usually a major problem. Just make sure when you lift them to let them dry off slightly and remove any bulbs that show signs of rot before replanting or dividing.

Once divided, you can repot them into fresh, well-draining compost and give them a sheltered spot until growth resumes in spring. This should help them recover and thrive for the coming season.

I hope that helps!
The Hart Family

Amarine Belladiva

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This question was asked by
– Pauline H –

Hi,
Please could you advise me if this beautiful flower is tempting to the lily beetle. If so I’ll be well prepared for the flaming things this year.

Many thanks
Pauline

Lily beetle

Lily beetles primarily target plants in the Liliaceae family, such as true lilies (Lilium species) and fritillaries, and do not typically feed on Amarines.
The amaryllis plant is not a true lily, so it is generally safe from the red lily beetle ( Lilioceris lilii).The Hart Family

I want to buy Lillies as present that is already potted

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This question was asked by
– Parveez

Potted Lilly plants or ready cut Lillie’s to send as a birthday present.

Harts Nursery Gift Voucher

Gift Vouchers

Thank you for your message.

Just to clarify, we only send lilies in bulb form. Unfortunately, we don’t currently supply potted lily plants or ready-cut lilies for gifting purposes.

However, lily bulbs do make a lovely birthday present, as they can be planted and enjoyed year after year. We’re always happy to include a gift note if that helps make it extra special.

A Gift Certificate is also a great present to send so the recipient can choose the bulbs the like themselves.

The Hart Family

Lilies and east-facing garden

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This question was asked by
– Maggie F – 

Hello
You kindly gave me advice on how to plant Casablanca lilies. I intend to order for Spring planting. My concern is my garden faces East and the border that I want to plant the lilies faces North so no sun.
Can I still plant and if so when should I order them.
Looking forward to your reply.

Kind regards
Maggie

 

Hello Maggie,

Thank you so much for getting in touch — I’m glad the advice was helpful!

Yes, you can still plant Casablanca lilies in an east-facing garden, even if the border itself faces north and receives little direct sun. While lilies do prefer sun, Casablanca is quite tolerant of bright shade, and as long as the area has good light (even without direct sunshine), they should still grow and flower. The stems may be slightly taller as they reach for the light, but the blooms will still be beautiful and fragrant.

Casa Blanca

Casa Blanca Lily

The Hart Family

Voodoo Lily

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This question was asked by
– John H – 

Bought voodoo Lily last year sent you a photo of amazing flower, but the smell was so bad I put it in the garden and forgot about it.Yesterday doing some tidying found Lily with 2 stems about 6″ tall and very healthy roots out of the pot, amazed it has survived outside in the frost. Do you think it will flower again, it has contradicted growing conditions.

Voodoo Lily

That’s amazing — voodoo lilies are full of surprises!

It doesn’t sound unusual at all, even though it feels like it’s contradicted the rulebook. Voodoo Lily tubers are much tougher than people expect. Once established, they can cope with short periods of cold, especially if the tuber stayed relatively dry and protected in the soil or pot. The fact it has produced two healthy stems and strong roots is a very good sign.

Yes — it absolutely can flower again, but a couple of things will influence that:

    • The tuber needs to have built up enough energy. If it flowered last year, it may produce leaves first this season to recharge before flowering again.

    • If one of the shoots thickens quickly and looks more solid rather than leafy, that’s often a flower spike.

    • If both stems unfurl into leaves, don’t worry — that usually means it’s storing energy for a future bloom.

The infamous smell is unfortunately part of the package when it does flower again… but on the plus side, it means the plant is doing exactly what it should!

I’d suggest:

    • Potting it back up or leaving it where it is if well-drained

    • Keeping it frost-free going forward if possible

    • Feeding lightly once growth really gets going

Keep an eye on it — voodoo lilies love to surprise, and yours clearly has a strong will to live!

The Hart Family

Lilies in bud in December

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This question was asked by
– Janet – 

Hi, I purchased Lilly bulbs in July at the RHS Wentworth show. I have planted them and they have grown and have flowers buds now in December. Do I let them flower? As I think this will stop them flowering again next year. But if I cut them down the energy will be lost. What is best for me to do. I could send you a photo.


If your Lilies have formed buds, it’s best to leave them on for now and let the plant decide what it can manage. If the weather stays mild, the buds may still open.

If the buds don’t open and start to yellow or die back, you can then remove them so the plant can redirect its energy into the bulb for next year’s growth.

Either way, the plant will be absolutely fine for next year — just allow the foliage to die back naturally so it can feed the bulb.

The Hart Family