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Lilies In Pots
from:Lilies, like most other beautiful flowering plants, need not be appreciated only in gardens or in the wilds. For those less-than-hardy varieties of lilies, growing them in pots can be the only solution in surviving the winter outdoors.
It is also an excellent idea to help beautify your surroundings and other parts of your landscape. Dwarf lilies are an excellent choice for pot gardening. They can make such beautiful accents to your rooms.
Potting
Potted lilies can be as healthy as those that are grown under natural conditions in the ground or gardens. Potting the lilies can start around late March all the way to the first week of May.
After potting, take care to water them thoroughly. (Water should come out of the drainage holes in the bottom.) After which, slow-release fertilizer is to be added on top of the soil.
Storing
Move the trays of potted lilies to an unheated place so they can sit for a minimum of 2 weeks to root. Keeping them in the cold stimulates them to have healthy and extensive root systems before they send out shoots.
There is no need to water them now because they are kept cool, and they don’t dry out because they are in the dark. When they start poking out of the soil, it is time to move them into the sunshine outdoors.
Sprouts
There may be some frost yet before they can really start out growing in May. Once the sprouts are out, protect them from freezing if temperatures go below minus 5 degrees Celsius.
By the middle or end of June, dwarf lily varieties are ready to bloom. Watering should be daily, depending on winds, temperature or rains. Then, the flowers bloom.
Pots
Bigger pots are best. They hold more soil and there is less chance for the bulbs to be frozen or baked inside.
All pots must have the all-important drainage hole at the bottom. Another concern would be the depth of the pot. Lily bulbs need at least 4 inches of soil on top and another inch at the bottom of the pot.
Soil
Lilies love sandy soil. The bulbs grow bigger in the sandy mix than in regular peat mixes. Drainage is also assured against accidents of over-watering. Ideally, the soil composition can have 40% sand, 30% peat and 30% compost.
Because sand cannot hold many nutrients, fertilizers become an important issue on potted lilies. They are the best part in making a success of your potted beauties.
Plant food
Regular feeding of fertilizers results in healthier plants, bigger flowers, and better abilities for the lilies to resist pests and diseases. They are especially important in the early parts of the lily’s growing months.
For bigger blooms, apply tomato fertilizer at least once right after blooming is finished. (Use the water-soluble type, and read the instructions very carefully.) Any vegetable fertilizer is okay.
Water
Over-watering is the biggest monster for potted lilies. They can kill. Lilies love moisture but only with a good drainage available. Waterlogged bulbs rot and simply die. You would not even know it until they do or the plant would look sickly.
However, there is no doubt potting your lilies can be just as much fun as growing them in your gardens.
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