Each grower has his own opinion about additional nutrition for lilies in the spring. These opinions are completely opposite. You just need to figure out whether fertilizers are really so important for lilies in the spring and, if so, which ones.
Why do you need spring feeding?
The growth of green mass in the spring and summer months, the formation of buds and flowering, and the preparation of the plant for a new flowering period depend on the full development of the lily bulb. All this is possible only with adequate nutrition of the underground part of the culture. The root part of a flowering plant will be healthy and strong only with timely feeding.
It is recommended to apply fertilizers for the first time to warm soil, the temperature of which is not less than 6-7 degrees. Depending on the climatic conditions of a particular area, this can be in early April or in the first week of May. At this time, the lilies should already sprout up to about 10 cm in height. Earlier feeding is useless, because the bulbs are not yet ready for feeding and the melt water will most likely carry away all the fertilizers with them.
The need for fertilization in the spring is directly related to the composition of the soil in the flower beds. Fertile soil, a site with a large amount of humus in the first 2-3 years after planting lilies, does not need feeding. But on a poor plot of land, these flowering crops will look weak without fertilization. Without additional nutritional support, the plant will lose its decorative effect and will need to be transplanted to a new place in the coming years.
Spring dressings have their drawbacks. If the soil is oversaturated with minerals, then the growth and development of the entire plant (aboveground and underground) will noticeably lag behind. An excess of fertilizer oppresses lilies. But the weeds at this time begin to grow actively, as they take all their food. They are much higher in height than young flower seedlings, and all the light goes to weeds to a greater extent. Lilies need even more extra attention and care time, especially weeding.
Fertilizer composition for lilies
For the full growth and development of lilies throughout the summer period, the following options for spring feeding are recommended:
- 1 tbsp ammonium nitrate for every square meter of a flower plot;
- Complex fertilizer - nitroammofoska;
- For 10 liters of water - 1 liter of fermented mullein solution;
- For 10 liters of water - 1 glass of wood ash, pre-sifted (used periodically in small volumes throughout the spring season or once together with irrigation water);
- Compost humus or rotted manure;
- Biohumus obtained as a result of the activity and life processes of earthworms;
Experienced florists and gardeners do not recommend using fresh manure or mullein as fertilizer for lilies. Such feeding contributes to the appearance of various infectious or fungal diseases. In addition, the aggressive microflora of this fertilizer can cause rapid rotting of the bulbs and the death of the entire plant even before the beginning of the flowering period.
