This question was asked by
– L. Campbell

I bought several Isabella lillies 2 years ago and planted them in pots in the compost suggested. The first year they were a little taller than the 100cm mentioned. I left them in the pots and last year they grew to about 130-150cm and the flowers weren’t as impressive. Please can you advise what I can do to get the best show this year. Thank you.

Hi there,
Wow, they sound very tall. Lilies can get taller over the years once they become more mature. I would advise giving the soil a freshen up each year and try using a good multipurpose compost like John Innes No 3 which is recommended for most lilies. You can also try using a Tomato Feed on your lilies to stimulate and strengthen them. Start using it when you 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.
Do also check for lily beetle as not only will they make the foliage look unsightly, they can also have an affect on the following year’s growth.

The Lily Beetle Prevention Spray will help keep the beetles at bay and strengthen your lilies.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards

Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– Raymond whitehead

Where and how do lily beetles overwinter?

Hi there,
Adult Lily Beetles overwinter in the soil or on leaf debris. They start to emerge again from late March onwards when the weather starts to warm up. After mating, the female can lay up to 300 orange eggs on the foliage of the lily. These will hatch after week into reddish-brown larvae that cover themselves in their own black, slimy excrement. Once mature, these grubs will bury themselves into the soil to pupate. They will then emerge as adults during the summer months.

Have you tried using the Lily Beetle Prevention spray as soon as you see signs of lily growth ?

Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)

Hope this help. Kind regards,

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– D. Norman Meagher

Hi,
Do lily beetles fly to their host plant.
Do you grow your lilies in a protected environment such as under glass? Or in the field.
I plant to grow them in big pots.
Is there a barrier method to prevent beetles from crawling up the pot?
They would be on a concrete surface.
Do you use chemicals that are unavailable to the general public?
If so what are they?
Construct for me if you will a strategic plan for their eradication.
thank you.

Hi there,
Yes we grow our lilies under glass and have found this keeps the lily beetles at bay. However, we do also use our Lily Beetle Prevention Spray to prevent them from destroying the lilies’ foliage.

Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– J. Coulson

These bulbs where amazing such a delight, I planted all 10 bulbs in one large container. Should I leave them in or take them out and let them dry out, protect from frost and replant next year.
Also what is the best thing to prevent Lily beetles ?
Thanks
Jackie

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 becomes hollow and brown. Lilies can tolerate very cold conditions but they do not like to get wet. So they can left where they are just ensure they don’t get waterlogged. If your lilies are planted in pots, it may be an idea to tilt the pots on their side in the winter to prevent waterlog. 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.
To prevent these insects from from ruining your lovely display of lilies, we recommend inspecting plants regularly and picking off any adult bugs and wipe any grubs off the backs of leaves. We also recommend using the Lily Beetle Prevention Spray. This Spray (Grazers G4) will also stimulate growth of your lilies.

Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– Michael Wain

Hi, I have had a very large collection of lilies for the last 20 years, but it has been devastated by lily beetle for the last 2 seasons. I have a daily routine of checking the the beetles but I’ll have to destroy about 1/3 of my collection this year. I’m reluctant to replace my destroyed lilies with new lily bulbs. If I replace them with other summer bulbs such as Crinum, Eucomis, Hymenocallis and Liatris, will these be affected by lily beetle.
Regards
Mike Wain

Good news! None of these varieties will attract the lily beetle.

Do you have Fritiallaria (Crown Imperials)? If so, these also attract the Lily Beetle unfortunately.

The lily beetle doesn’t affect the condition of the bulb or the flower, it just makes the foliage look unsightly, so you won’t need to destroy your lilies. Leave them to flower and die back this year. I would maybe try planting a Garlic bulb alongside your lily bulbs. This has been reported to be quite successful against lily beetles. Also, we do sell a lily beetle repellent that you could try for next season.

Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– Len Hooper

Just a thank you, that Lily beetle spray is great, just one spray, and no more beetles 👍👍

Thank you for the feedback! Thats great to hear

The Hart Family

This question was asked by
– Jenny Parker

The Oriental lillies that I ordered are absolutely gorgeous but find they are so tall in the pots I have planted them in are constantly blowing over! Can you recommend the correct size please.
Thanks

Hi there.
You will need a good 14-16 inch ceramic patio pot for 3 bulbs. How many bulbs have you planted and what size pot have you used?

The Hart Family