Category Archives: lillies

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

Reusing lily bulbs that suffered badly with red lily beetle last year

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This question was asked by
– Dawn L

Pots were left to winter outside as they were infested with red lily beetle. Can I still take the bulbs out wash and air dry in greenhouse to reuse this year? Many thanks.

Yes, you can likely reuse the lily bulbs if they were only infested with red lily beetles and not other issues. First, thoroughly clean the bulbs by removing any visible debris and washing them gently under water. Then, allow them to air dry in a greenhouse or other protected, warm environment. Once dry, you can plant them as usual.

Tips for Preventing Future Infestations:

    • Inspect lilies early for red lily beetle larvae and adults during the growing season.

Reusing your bulbs after a beetle infestation is possible as long as you take these steps to ensure they’re clean and healthy. Hopefully, this will help you enjoy a beautiful lily display again this year!

Lily Beetle Black mess

Damaged caused by Red Lily beetle

Red Scarlet lily Beetle on Plant. Lilioceris lilii

Lily ‘Lady Alice’

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This question was asked by 
– Dave M – 

Is this an asiatic lily?

No, Lily ‘Lady Alice’ is not an Asiatic Lily. It’s classified as a hybrid of Lilium henryi, a species lily, and is often referred to as a Turk’s Cap Lily. While some sources might mention it being part of the OT hybrid lilies (Oriental-Trumpet), it’s not specifically an Asiatic lily. 

Lilium Lady Alice

Tree Lily bulbs

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This question was asked by
– Lesley –

Hi! I would like some advice on late-flowering bulbs that. Well over 2 metres. I would like to extend the flowering season.

Hi Lesley,

If you order your Tree Lilies now, they will be delivered mid May. You could store them in the fridge for a couple of weeks and then plant them. They will then flower later into the season, about 10-12 weeks from planting.
Tree-like Lilies

Tree-like Lilies

Searching for Yellow Lilly bulbs

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This question was asked by
– – Michael T

My wife purchased some beautiful yellow cut lilies from M&S they were all yellow with stamens the same yellow as the petals. I can not see them in your catalog
If you have similar I would like to purchase some bulbs

Hi there,
We will be putting our Lilies back in stock in the next month or so. You can be notified by email when they are back in stock if you click on the button ‘tell me when this is back in stock’ on the product page.

You can search our Lilies by colour using the filter search at the top of the page, click here for our yellow lilies : Yellow Lilies

Lilium Cavalia

Hope this helps.

The Hart Family

Planting Lilly bulbs in containers

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This question was asked by
– Jake

Hello,

Yesterday I bought 5x Viva-La-Vida Lilly bulbs at the Gardeners World Live exhibition. Please can you advise on the following?

1. What size pot should I use?
2. How many bulbs per pot?
3. Soil/compost potting mix requirements for container growing?
4. Should they be planted now, or wait until a more appropriate time of the year?
5. Planting requirements such as bulb depth/ spacing/ etc.
6. Watering requirements.
7. Over wintering requirements.

Thank you.

Jake.

Plant your bulbs straight away and they will flower this year still, usually in 10 to 12 weeks. They will be just a little later this year but return to their usual flowering cycle next year.

Planting Advice for Lilies:

 

    • Simply plant with the growing tip pointing upwards and the roots below and cover the top of the bulb with 4-6” (10-15cm) of soil (see each variety for which soil type to use).

 

    • If planting in pots, plant 3 bulbs in a 10-14” (25-35cm) ‘patio type’ pot. You can plant more in a larger pot or less in a smaller pot. It really depends on the display you would like to achieve. You can also stagger the planting, using different lilies to achieve different heights.

 

    • Lilies can tolerate very cold conditions but they do not like to get wet so ensure the pot has adequate drainage holes. You can horticultural grit/sand to your soil to encourage good drainage.

 

    • Most lilies prefer to be planted in a location with at least half a day’s full sunshine, if it’s a bit too shady they will lean their stems towards the sun. Unless you have Martagon lilies, as these actually like their head in the sun but feet in the shade.

 

    • Lilies are generally happy in a good-quality, peat-free, multi-purpose compost.

 

 

Overwintering

 

    • When the Lily has finished flowering, cut any seed heads back and allow the foliage to die back naturally. Do not be tempted to cut the stem back until stems become hollow and brown.

 

    • Believe it or not, lilies like a cold-dormant phase and like to be left where they are during winter, just ensure there is adequate drainage so they can’t get waterlogged. Lilies are very hardy and can tolerate up to -20°c.

 

    • Many people have lilies for a cut flower garden, if you do wish to cut lilies for indoor arrangements, then ensure to leave 50cm of stem to allow for another season of flower the following year.

 

 

Care Guide

 

    • To prevent Lily Beetles from damaging your lilies, we recommend using the Lily Beetle Prevention Spray or you can make up your own with the Concentrate. This Spray (Grazers G4) will also stimulate growth of your lilies.

 

    • You can feed your lilies with a diluted 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

How to store lily bulbs if I can’t plant them straight away

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This question was asked by
– Georgina – 

My lily bulbs have arrived today. I can’t plant for few days. What do I do with them please? Do I take them out of the plastic bags?

Yes, you can remove your lily bulbs from their packaging and keep them somewhere cool and dark until you are ready to plant them. Even the fridge will be fine. I would advise planting them within the next week or so of receiving your bulbs as they are keen to get growing.

Storing Lily Bulbs

The Hart Family

Fragrant Lilies

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This question was asked by
– Robert W

Please what is your most fragrant Lilies?
I want to grow some by the side of my front door this year.

Thank you

Kind regards
Robert

Hi Robert

Any of the Oriental or Roselily varieties are all highly fragrant including the Oriental Trumpet Lilies (these are the taller varieties).

As a general rule of thumb, the whiter the lily the stronger the scent as they don’t have the colour to attract insects, they have the perfume instead. You can use our filtered search on the website and search by colour.

Oriental Lilies
Double Oriental Lilies
Roselilies
Oriental Trumpet Lilies

White oriental lilies have the strongest fragrance.

The Hart Family

How deep to plant lily bulbs with stem already on?

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This question was asked by
– Joy –

I purchased 5 lily bulbs at Hampton Court. I need to plant them and am unsure how deep as they have 1.5″ stem. Do I still plant them with 4 to 6″ of soil above?

Thank you,
Joy

Hi there,

Please plant your lilies with 4-6inches of soil above the top of the bulb not including the stem that has already sprouted.

Lily Bulbs with growth

The Hart Family