Planting lilies in the ground in spring: how to plant bulbs with sprouts, timing

The beauty of the lily can be compared to the queen of the garden rose. Gardeners fell in love with this plant for its magical flowering in mid-summer, delicate aroma and ease of care. According to agrotechnical rules, bulbs of many types of lilies should be planted in the garden in the autumn. This feature is associated with the natural development cycle of the plant. But recently there has been a growing trend towards planting in the spring. In this article we will give recommendations for planting lilies in open ground in the spring.

Timing for planting lilies in the ground 1.1. By region 1.2. Lunar calendar for planting in May 2. Selection of bulbs 3. Preparation for planting 3.1. Preparation of bulbs 3.2. Selecting a location 3.3. Soil preparation 4. Planting lilies 5. Care recommendations

Photo: Gardeners often plant lilies in the spring, as there is a lot of planting material in stores.

The increase in the number of spring plantings is due to the fact that from March stores begin to sell bulbs from the autumn season at affordable prices. You can buy the latest selections and familiar, proven varieties inexpensively. Gardeners and summer residents, of course, take advantage of this. And many people have a question: how and when to plant lilies? We will talk about this in the article.

Benefits of planting lilies in spring

A lily can be planted in an open area at the beginning of the season or at the end, after the flowering cycle. Summer is not suitable for work, because in the heat the plant takes root poorly and lags behind in growth. In regions with early autumn and low winter temperatures, it is better to place lilies in open ground in the spring. Especially if these are non-frost-resistant varieties, for example, hybrids with double inflorescences, oriental and trumpet varieties. The spring planting period is chosen for several reasons:

• lily planting material was purchased in late autumn, when the soil is no longer suitable for placement;
• persistent rains prevented late-season work;
• The variety is characterized by low frost resistance.

Planting in open ground in spring has undeniable advantages. The main factor in favor of placing lilies early in the season is to keep the bulbs in good condition and not be damaged by frost or rodents. There is no need to carefully insulate the soil for the winter.

Important! Lily planting material is well preserved until spring at a temperature of +4 C and low humidity.

Planting dates: general rules

The choice of a suitable period depends primarily on the variety of lilies, more precisely, on the time of their growing season, flowering and degree of “maturity”. For example, if autumn-blooming oriental, Asian or tubular hybrids are planted in late spring, they simply will not have time to bloom and properly prepare for wintering.

Some amateur gardeners mistakenly believe that lilies reproduce by tubers. You can be convinced that this is not the case by taking a closer look at the planting material. Luxurious perennial plants are propagated by ovoid or spherical bulbs, unprotected by covering scales, which consist of individual fleshy lobes adjacent to each other.

The main method of propagation is vegetative: by “divided” bulbs, daughter bulbs, individual scales, stem bulbs, green cuttings

An adult bulb that has accumulated enough nutrients, planted at the end of autumn , has time to take root and overwinters normally in the ground. When using medium-sized bulbs, it is advisable to cover the planting area, insulating it for the winter with a thick layer of straw mulch. It is better to try to keep the smallest ones outside the ground until spring and plant them when the soil warms up.

There is an opinion that when planted in spring, plants produce almost no children, while lilies planted in autumn form many daughter bulbs. Others believe that the fertility of the bulbs is influenced by the depth of planting rather than the time of planting - that is, the deeper the bulb is, the more children it will produce. In fact, the formation of daughter bulbs depends not only on these factors, but also on growing conditions and care.

Some gardeners calculate planting dates according to the lunar calendar. It is worth saying that it is still wiser to take into account weather conditions and measure the soil temperature for several days before planting.

When to plant lilies in open ground in spring

When planting lilies in an open area in the spring, they are guided by the temperature of the soil and air. The soil should be warmed to at least +5 C, especially if the bulbs are already sprouting. Night temperatures should be around +8 C.

Attention! Open ground in the spring can be insulated with straw before the material germinates.

Planting work in the Central, European regions and the Middle Zone is carried out approximately from April 20 to May 10. In the southern subtropical climate, lilies are identified for open areas in mid-April. With the early onset of spring, planting is possible in early April. In the Siberian and Ural regions, work in open ground is carried out in the second ten days of May.

If spring is late, and the sprouts have begun to form intensively, it is necessary to plant the material in any container, while the shoot is left open

Features of transplantation

Most often, replanting is combined with dividing the bush. In the fifth year of life, the flowering of lilies noticeably decreases, and sometimes stops altogether. This is the basis for removing the plant from the soil and separating the daughter bulbs.

After watering, carefully dig up the lily using a garden tool, wash the root part with water, separate the young shoots and place them in a pink manganese solution for disinfection. After trimming the long roots to eight to ten centimeters, the flowers are planted in a new place.

Reference! Since replanting is a serious stress for a lily, it is not recommended to do it more often than once every four to five years.

How to plant lily bulbs with sprouts in spring

When choosing a place for lilies in the spring, it is necessary to take into account that the plant requires protection from gusts of wind. Low areas and stagnation of moist air lead to the development of gray rot. Therefore, an open area with good air circulation, located on loose, nutritious soil, is suitable for planting. Clay or sandy compounds are not used for growing lilies.

Important! The place for planting the crop should not be in a lowland where water accumulates, because the underground part of the lily rots and the plant dies.

Preparing the site and soil

It is necessary to plant lilies in the spring so that they bloom and fully develop on previously prepared soil. The soil is dug up 2 weeks before work and weed roots are removed. Add to open ground (per 1 m2):

• peat – 10 kg;
• humus – 8 kg;
• 4 tbsp. l. dolomite flour. It can be replaced with 500 g of wood ash;
• urea and superphosphate (can be replaced with nitrophoska) - 50 g each.

Read more How to store lily bulbs in winter
The bed is leveled with a rake and lightly compacted.

Fertilizers do not need to be applied in advance, but the mixture can be made at the time of planting the plant in open ground. The bottom of the hole is covered with sand, 5 kg of humus is mixed with 1 kg of ready-made substrate for lilies or the Begonia flower composition. Add 25 g of nitrophoska, “Agricola for flowering plants” and ½ cup of ash. The prepared soil mixture is applied when placing lilies in open ground in the spring.

Selection of lily bulbs and how to treat them before planting in spring

Planting material is purchased or prepared by dividing a four-year-old plant. In the first case, the bulbs are chosen:

• undamaged;
• no traces of mold;
• elastic, not wrinkled;
• large;
• the bottom is flat, dense, not concave;
• unopened sprout.

Propagation material in spring cannot be stored for a long time; it is better to immediately plant it in an open area

The bulbs are planted in the ground in the spring at a distance of at least 20 cm.
The planting material is pre-treated with the antifungal drug “Fundazol” or “Khomom” and kept in “Kornevin”. If sprouts have already appeared, the procedure is carried out carefully so as not to damage them.

How to plant lilies with sprouts in spring

When propagating lilies in the spring, planting bulbs with sprouts in the ground is carried out in holes that should be 3 times higher than the material taking into account the sprout. For small bulbs, the depth of the hole should be about 15 cm, for large ones – 20–25 cm. Planting of the material is carried out as follows:

1. Coarse sand is placed at the bottom, and a cone-shaped mound is made from the nutrient soil.
2. Each onion is placed on a hill with the sprout facing up and lightly pressed so as not to damage the root.
3. The recesses are filled in and compacted without pressing too hard on the surface. If you apply too much pressure, you can break the sprout.
4. Water the planting site with water with the addition of Epin.

To form a strong bush, place 2-3 bulbs in one hole

Important! You should not allow dense planting, which will interfere with free air circulation; the holes are distributed at a distance of 30–40 cm.

The interval depends on the variety: the higher the bush, the larger and more powerful the root system.

Read more How to properly prepare lilies for winter in the Urals, Moscow region, and Siberia

Introduction and buying tips

In order for your lilies to grow well and bloom luxuriously, you need to know exactly which section they belong to. It’s even better to buy bulbs only after you have become familiar with the planting rules and outdoor growing conditions.

This way you will immediately assess your capabilities and understand whether you can provide them with proper care or whether you will be looking for a more suitable option. The fact is that agricultural technology (planting, care, wintering) and growing conditions (lighting, soil) of different types of plants are seriously different from each other.

An international classification of hybrid lilies has now been developed. It presents about 10 thousand plant varieties, divided into 10 main sections depending on their origin.

1. Asian hybrids. The most popular species in gardening is the Tiger Lily.
2. Hybrids Curly (Martagon).
3. Hybrids Snow White. The most popular species in gardening is the white lily.
4. American hybrids
5. Hybrids Long-flowered
6. Hybrids Tubular and Orleans
7. Hybrids Oriental (Oriental)
8. Hybrids between sections 1, 5, 6 and 7 of the classification, mainly Longiflorum Asiaticum (LA) and Oriental Tubular (OT).
9. All wild species of lilies and their varieties.
10. A variety of hybrids that are not included in any section.

In the CIS, the most common in floriculture are Asian hybrids, in particular tiger lily, Curly hybrids (Martagon), Tubular and Orleans, Longiflorum Asiaticum (LA) and Oriental Tubular (OT, also known as tree or bush) hybrids.

The magazine “Festival of Flowers” ​​reminds that the so-called “pyramidal”, “spherical”, “curly” lilies today exist only in the imagination of unscrupulous sellers.

Buying Tips

• Do not buy lilies if it is impossible to determine exactly which group they belong to.
• We do not recommend buying late varieties of Eastern Hybrids, as they often do not have time to stock up on nutrients before wintering and die in the spring. The later they bloom and the colder the climate, the higher the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
• Buy bulbs from sellers with a proven, long-standing reputation. Try to avoid random people in the market and on the Internet, especially if you are interested in an expensive or rare variety.
• After preliminary familiarization with the sections of lilies, proceed to studying the varieties from the selected sections. Before going to the exhibition and sale, write down the varieties you like on a sheet of paper. If you are offered “new unique varieties with amazing characteristics at half the price” whose names you have not heard, then it is better to postpone the purchase.
• It is better not to purchase bulbs after forcing, as they often fall apart into 2-4 parts. Only after 2-3 seasons will such small bulbs gain strength and bloom.
• We advise you to buy at least three lilies of the same variety, preferably 3-7, so that you can plant them at least in a triangle or circle and get a blooming “bouquet”.

Quality of planting material

Buy fairly dense, large bulbs with living roots at least 3-5 cm in length and elastic scales. They should not have rotten or overdried scales and mold.

If you bought heavily dried bulbs or they dried out during storage, then wrap them in a damp cloth or soak them in water before planting.

Caring for lilies after planting in spring

The crop is grown according to the standard scheme:

1. After placing in an open area in the spring, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. The growing season is aimed at root formation, so water the plant regularly so that the soil is always moist, but without stagnation of water.
2. Maintain stable aeration by shallow loosening.
3. The soil should not be allowed to overheat; the planting site should be mulched after germination of the seedlings.
4. Weeds are removed as they appear.

To fertilize crops in open ground use:

• in early spring, urea and Agricola-Fantasia;
• when the first buds form - superphosphate, Agricola-7 and potassium sulfate;
• During the flowering period, they are fed with liquid organic matter and nitrophoska.

Fresh manure is dangerous for crops (especially in spring). It provokes the development of fungal infection, rotting and intensive growth of green mass. The bush blooms poorly and produces small flowers.

Lily buds bloom one after another, so flowers that have completed their life cycle are cut off from the bush.

Feeding flowers

Lilies are fertilized regardless of the planting season and only with minerals. Manure is contraindicated for lilies, especially fresh ones. It is harmful to bulbs at any period of development. Taking into account the type of soil, additives are also added:

1. wood ash
2. nitroammophoska (50g/1 bucket of water)
3. ammonium nitrate (1 tablespoon/1 cubic meter of soil)

The gardener must strictly monitor the dosage. Oversaturation with minerals has a bad effect on the plant.

Lilies' favorite nutrient is ash. It is very useful in this case, it alkalizes the soil, protects against diseases, mold and other harmful things. It can be used up to six times per season.

Lilies planted in spring are fertilized at least twice. As soon as the buds appear, the soil is soaked with nitroammophos, and after flowering, superphosphate is used (up to 50 g/1 bucket of water). It is also worth feeding the bulbs for the winter.

To disinfect young, already strong shoots, the soil is impregnated with a protective agent - Bordeaux mixture. The plant is sprayed with the same solution in July. Feeding continues even if gray rot or another disease is detected.

Diseases and pests

The most common crop infections are fusarium bulb disease and gray fungal rot. If in the spring, before placing it in open ground, the material is treated with an antifungal agent, diseases rarely develop. To prevent damage to the aerial parts, the crop is sprayed with Fitosporin in several doses per season.

Of the pests for lilies, onion hoverflies and mites are dangerous. Insects do not parasitize on the crown. When the plant enters the budding phase, it is treated with colloidal sulfur.

Watering mode

All measures will be useless if, after planting lilies in the ground, regular watering is not observed. The gardener must adhere to an important condition - the soil must be moist, no stagnation of water or drying out of the soil. Only then will it be possible to enjoy beautiful, large, fragrant inflorescences. Otherwise, the plant’s development stops, budding, and flowering is poor and delayed.

Needles and rotted sawdust mixed with soil retain moisture and protect it from drying out. It is also important to maintain uniform planting density so that each flower receives full moisture.

Favorable watering times are morning and afternoon. It is necessary to water the soil, not the stem. Excess moisture on green mass causes disease and burns in hot weather. Water in droplets is the same lens that concentrates the sun's rays and burns the leaves. It’s a good idea to get drip irrigation. Its principle is the regular periodicity of soil moisture directly above the root system.

Excess moisture in hot weather is a favorable environment for the appearance of fusarium and wet rot. In damp, cold weather, brown spotting appears.

Common mistakes and recommendations

A lily planted in an open area in the spring will bloom profusely only the next year. The placement season will be spent on the formation of the bulb. Therefore, mistakes made during the year of planting will minimize all efforts to obtain a flowering crop.

A few tips to help avoid problems in the future:

1. Do not plant the plant in lowlands or on waterlogged soil. The crop will die from excess water in the current or next season.
2. Watering should be done in moderation, avoiding moisture deficiency and stagnation. Use a little water, which is poured under the root.
3. The soil is being corrected. Lily grows well in neutral or slightly alkaline soil.
4. Be sure to protect the root from overheating with mulch (straw, decorative wood chips or peat).
5. Do not use fresh manure, which contains a large number of pathogenic microorganisms.
6. They create conditions for the lily in partial shade, this is especially true for varieties with dark flowers.
7. You cannot thicken the planting.

Read more Pruning lilies in the fall after flowering for beginners: timing, video

To protect planting material from damage by rodents, you can place a mesh with small cells around the pit at its depth, use an old bulk container, having first removed its bottom. It is allowed to plant the bulb in a basket and deepen it into the ground. You can use a trimmed 5 liter plastic bottle. The material is placed not in open ground, but in a container, which is then buried in the ground.

Methods for propagating lilies

Reproduction by scales

1. The method of separating daughter bulbs is carried out during transplantation every five years. Young bulbs bloom in a new place within a year after planting.
2. Some varieties are propagated by dividing the nest. A large bulb forms two or three new full-fledged specimens. When such bulbs are separated and planted, flowering also occurs within a year.
3. There are species and varieties that form bulbs on scales. This method allows you to get a large amount of planting material from one bulb, because two or three babies can form on one scale at once. Such lilies will begin to bloom only after three to four years.
4. Bulbs collected from bulbous varieties of lilies are also excellent planting material that takes root well in open ground. The method of propagation by air bulbs, which are formed in the axils of the leaves, is longer than others.

   
   propagation of lilies by bulbs

5. Flower growers consider the seed method to be the most labor-intensive and troublesome. The first flowering can be seen only after five to eight years.

Lilies in landscape design

The culture is represented by a large number of varieties from white to dark burgundy. Species vary in height and flowering time. Lilies are widely used to decorate parks, flower beds near administrative buildings, and for landscaping urban areas. But the main application is the decoration of open areas of private household and garden areas. The plant is used in various plantings:

• like a tapeworm in a flowerbed. Lily immediately attracts the eye with its lush bushes, abundantly strewn with flowers;

• for decorating lawns;

• included in a composition with roses, peonies, ornamental shrubs, conifers, ground cover species;

• they design rock gardens and place them near bodies of water;

• Linear planting is suitable for forming a hedge. Low-growing varieties are used to create borders.

Lilies are versatile in use, they are suitable for almost any design purpose.

Attention! Roses and lilies are used to playing solo roles in the garden. For the combination of these plants to be successful, it is necessary to choose contrasting colors.

For example, against the background of burgundy lilies, white roses will look tender and majestic. And with white lilies, it is better to plant red roses in open ground, so there will be an advantageous color variety in the garden.

Irises and lilies are not a very good combination. Planting these flowers in one flowerbed is irrational. Irises do not need watering after flowering, but lilies, which by this time begin to bloom, require moisture.

Popular types and varieties of lilies

The Stargazer Lily variety
can be proud of its huge family of hundreds of species and thousands of varieties, from which you can choose flowers by color, climatic preferences, growing conditions, shape, size of buds and direction of petals, resistance to diseases and pests, and flowering time and even in aroma.

For convenience, all specimens of this royal flower were divided into groups according to their origin.

• "Asian" - This is the largest group of cup-shaped lilies with good resistance to cold and disease, and is also unpretentious to grow. The only disappointment is the lack of aroma in the flowers. The best varieties are “Monte Negro”, “Spring Pink”, “Sphinx”, “Blee Out”, “Elodie”, “Mapira”.

  
  Monte Negro variety

• “Curly” - these lilies do not like transplanting, but have high frost resistance. They can grow in one place for decades. Feature - the petals on the flowers are wrapped upward. Varieties - “Maroon King”, “Surprise”, “Guinea Gold”, “Valdai Bells”, “Chameleon”.
• "Snow White" - flowers of a white or yellowish hue with a pleasant aroma, requiring shelter for the winter. Varieties - “Apollo”, “Testacium”, “Madonna”.

  
  Variety Madonna

• “American” are tall, two-color hybrids with a pleasant aroma and varied colors. Varieties - “Shaksan”, “Lake Tulare”, “Buttercup”, “Afterglow”.
• “Long-flowered” are heat-loving hybrids with elongated tube-shaped flowers. Varieties - “White Elegance”, “White Fox”, “White Haven”.
• "Eastern" - a group that unites about one thousand three hundred varieties. These are low perennials with huge flowers and double petals. The best varieties are “Casa Blanc”, “Canberra”, “Stargazer”, “Salmon Star”, “Miss Burma”.

  
  Variety Salmon Star

• "Orleans" are tall lilies with cup-shaped, tubular, drooping large flowers with a very bright aroma. They are not susceptible to fungi and viruses, and can withstand weather vagaries and sudden cold snaps. Varieties - “Regale”, “Royal Gold”, “African Queen”, “Lady Alice”.

Advantages and disadvantages

Novice flower growers who decide to decorate their flower beds with lilies are misled by the information that planting can take place both in spring and autumn. In the fall, the bulbs are planted so that they take root before the onset of cold weather. Planting in spring is slightly different and has its own characteristics. There may be the following prerequisites for postponing planting work to spring:

In any case, if this is the case, there is no need to abandon spring planting and wait for the next season. In addition, this option has obvious advantages, namely:

Along with this, difficulties may arise. If the bulb does not develop enough, the flowering may be weak, and in some cases there will be no buds at all. For the same reason, the number of children is decreasing. All these consequences can be worsened if the summer was cold.

Planting work should be carried out at the end of April or beginning of May, when the soil is quite warm and there are no severe frosts. In the south you can start earlier, and in the northern and Siberian regions - later.

Disembarkation scheme

After the bulbs have been prepared, they can be safely planted in the ground. To do this, it is better to prepare individual dimples or long holes. If the soil is too dry, they can be slightly moistened. A drainage layer, at least made of sand, should be poured onto the bottom of each. Fertilizer is added directly to the holes. Then the onions are placed in them strictly vertically, bottom down, and covered with earth on top.

The density and density of planting may vary. Lilies are almost never planted alone; in groups they look more organic. A flower bed with frequently planted flowers looks better, but in this case the perennials will have to be replanted more often as they grow larger and the children grow. It is better to make the distance between the bulbs the same (from 5 to 25 cm), especially when planting linearly.

The spaces between the rows should be sufficient not only for the development of the plant, but also for the ease of caring for it.

Another aspect that raises many questions is the planting depth. You can find completely different opinions on this matter. It depends on the following factors:

Naturally, the landing should not be spontaneous. There are many ideas for designing flower beds, but they are all subject to the following principles:

Site preparation

In order for lilies to bloom, you should choose the right place to plant them.
For most species, good lighting is important. Asian and LA hybrids can grow in light shade, while Vostochny and Kudrevatye varieties need protection from direct sunlight. Lilies are usually planted in the same place for several years in a row, so the soil must be enriched annually by adding fertilizers such as: It is also important to monitor the pH level: some varieties need a neutral or slightly alkaline environment, others need a slightly acidic environment, otherwise their flowers lose their brightness. For alkalization, you can add slaked lime or dolomite flour, and to maintain acidity - turf and peat.

Watering and fertilizing

Lilies like the soil to be well moistened. But it is impossible to allow waterlogging and stagnation of moisture, otherwise the bulbs will rot and the plants will die. Water is poured at the root. If the weather is rainy, the plants are not watered. In summer, watering is carried out during a prolonged drought. When planting, lilies are fed with sweated manure or humus (7-8 kg per 1 m²), wood ash (100 g per 1 m²). The composition of the soil can be improved by adding a mixture of potassium sulfate, superphosphate and sweated manure. During the flowering period, it is useful to use potassium fertilizers. When planting, oriental hybrids are recommended to be fed with a mixture of humus, peat, and turf. In the next growing season, lilies are fed:

After the plants have flowered, they are fertilized with superphosphate.

Preparing for spring planting

To successfully plant lilies in the spring, you need to properly prepare not only the bulbs themselves, but also the area.

Quality of planting material

You can get beautiful and abundantly flowering plants only from healthy bulbs. The planting material should be free of rot, mold, scales of different colors and textures, and the roots should not be dried out.

When storing bulbs at home, the following rules must be observed:

Important: additional insulation will help increase survival rate. It is enough to simply cover the plantings with plastic bottles with the top cut off - this will create greenhouse conditions.

Site selection and preparation

All representatives of the Liliaceae family prefer loose, well-drained soils without stagnant water. In light sandy soil, the bulbs will dry out; in clay soil, they will suffer from impaired air exchange and rot. Thus, site preparation should be carried out based on the natural characteristics of the land:

Additional application of rotted compost or humus will increase soil fertility, which will have a positive effect on the growth of bulbs and further flowering. You can also use mineral fertilizers: potassium sulfate or superphosphate. The dosage is 50 g and 100 g for the entire area, respectively.

The site preparation process itself is carried out in several stages.

Important: for lilies to bloom well, the planting site must be sunny, protected from drafts and winds.

Selection of planting material

The most common way to propagate lilies is by bulbs. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to their type. Lilies are as follows:

When choosing, it is important to pay attention to the size, density and appearance of the bulb. It should be proportionately heavy and hard. When pressing, the surface should not dent. Cuts, cracks, unpleasant odors, escaping liquid and any questionable stains on the surface should serve as an excuse to refuse the purchase. A good condition of the bottom with living roots is the key to the health of the future plant. Particular attention should be paid to the sprout; if the bulbs are purchased in advance, there should be no signs of germination, otherwise it will not be possible to meet the deadline and you will have to grow the flower at home.

For spring planting, you need to purchase bulbs in late summer or early autumn. It is better to spend some effort on storage during the winter than to buy low-quality material. Sometimes in the spring, unscrupulous suppliers may slip the bulbs after forcing them - if they are planted in the same season, you will no longer get flowers.

Specialist gardening stores are not a guarantee, but they inspire more confidence. In addition, you can immediately purchase everything you need for planting and care, as well as get advice.

It is no secret that the size and proportions of the flower will depend on the quality of the planting material. The best option is to prepare it yourself. The preparation of the bulbs takes place in several stages, namely:

Bulbs with sprouts are suitable for spring planting. It is impossible to save them until autumn. This often happens due to non-compliance with the terms or storage conditions of the seed. If there are more than two months left until May and the sprouts are already quite large, it is easier to plant the bulbs in pots or containers. For planting at home, the containers must have fairly high sides. Sprouted lilies are planted later to ensure that the delicate sprouts are not damaged by natural disturbances. They are removed from the containers with all possible care and lowered into suitable holes.