Category Archives: Lily Beetle

Repotting Lilies and preventing Lily Beetle

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This question was asked by
– Nikki Lond-Caulk

I was wondering when the best time to repot my Lilies would be. They suffered rather badly from lily beetle this year. Should I wait until they have completely died back? The bulbs I bought from your stand at Gardeners World live have been wonderful.

Hi there,
Have you tried using Neem Oil on your lilies to prevent the Lily beetle from attacking them? If not, try mixing 5ml Neem Oil with 1litre of Water and a squirt of Washing Up Liquid. Spray once a week with a fresh mix.

Regarding repotting your lilies, I would leave them in until they have died back completely. It will probably be later Autumn by this time.
Best wishes
Loraine Hart

Eradicating lily beetle

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This question was asked by
– Angela

The dreaded lily beetle has has put me off growing lilies, but I want to grow martagon lilies next year. How can I prevent these pests from ruining my lilies?

Hello there,
Yes the dreaded lily beetle is a nuisance for us Lily lovers but we have a few suggestions for you to try to keep them away:

1) Spray with Imidcloprid and sunflower oil (or Bayer Provado Ultimate Bug Killer).
2) If you do not like using insecticides then spraying with diluted fairy liquid or crushed garlic in water have been suggested. Crush a whole corm of garlic in a small pan of boiling water. Allow to cool, strain and put in a small container in the fridge. When using, dilute three parts water to one part garlic solution. Spray often, every few days, especially when it has rained. There is a garlic product available in garden centres and stores, but this is a much cheaper alternative.
3) More recently, a customer has tried planting their lily bulbs alongside a garlic and this has been quite successful in keeping these creatures away.
4) Alternatively, we have been advising our customers to spray their lilies with NEEM oil to eradicate the lily beetle!
Hope one of these suggestions will help you to keep your lilies looking as lovely as they should.
Kind regards
Loraine Hart