Each grower has his own individual vision of whether to dig up lilies or not, and, if so, at what time it should be done. As an autumn preparation, they dig up lily bulbs or equip a special winter cover for them in the form of fallen leaves or spruce branches. There is another opinion that the abundant flowering of lilies is possible without these additional activities of caring flower lovers. Such contradictory actions have their own explanation.
Why do they dig up lilies
Lily is an unpretentious perennial flowering bulbous plant, which has a huge number of varieties, varieties, hybrids in its family. Each has its own growing characteristics and climate requirements. Different varieties endure the cold winter period in different ways: some can calmly remain in the ground during all cold months or under an additional cover, while others can die in frost and therefore have to be dug up and stored until spring under certain conditions. For instance:
- Well tolerated wintering in the ground - lily "Daurskaya" and "Pennsylvania", as well as hybrid varieties LA, OT, AO and most Asian hybrids;
- The lily "Royal" and "Candidum" will well endure wintering under cover;
- It is required to extract the bulbs from the soil in the fall - tubular lilies, American and Oriental hybrid varieties, as well as Asian hybrids overgrown with children.
Asian hybrids with babies must be removed from the ground in the autumn to separate the babies from the mother's bulb, since they take all the nutrients and water from her. A large number of such processes have a negative effect on the development and flowering of the entire plant.
Another important argument in favor of extracting lily bulbs from the soil in the autumn is the ability of this flowering perennial to self-poison. Harmful substances that accumulate in the bulbs for several years are released into the soil. The earth is saturated with these substances and, instead of nutrition, brings great harm to plants, as a result of which lilies begin to lose their decorative qualities and become very sick. The number of colors and their sizes are reduced. To avoid this, it is recommended to transplant lilies to a new site every 4-5 years or replace the soil layer in the same place.
When to dig up lily bulbs?
The timing for harvesting the bulbs for storage depends on the varietal characteristics of the lilies and the climatic conditions in which they grow. Each variety has a different ripening period for the bulbs, and this is the main indicator for their harvesting. In order for the lily bulbs to mature and reach their maximum size, it is necessary to give them time to stock up on the required amount of nutrients, which they take, including from the stems and leaves after flowering. It is very important not to cut the lily shoots after the end of the flowering period, but to give them the opportunity to die off naturally. Cut off the stems and leaves ahead of time will deprive the bulbs of the opportunity to grow and prepare for wintering.
If we take the middle zone of Russia as an example, then here lilies are stored in the following order:
- LA - hybrids and Asian varieties (from about 10 to 20 August);
- OT - hybrids (approximately from 20 to 31 August);
- Oriental hybrids (from about September 1 to 10).
All the dates for digging lilies are approximate, because they depend on the weather and climatic conditions of the area in which these flowering perennials are grown.
