Caring for lilies in the fall and preparing them for winter is a common question, which occurs among those gardeners who are just starting to grow these flowers. In order to decorate your site, there are many different crops, but most often they use tulips, lilies, asters, roses, etc.

If you choose the right plants that will have different flowering periods, then they will be able to produce buds and delight the summer resident, from early spring to late autumn, you just need to properly care for them. When autumn comes, flower growers have additional worries, since preparations for winter must be carried out correctly. Only this condition will guarantee successful plant growth next year.

To the question of whether it is necessary to prepare lilies for winter or whether this is not necessary, the answers are different. Some flower growers believe that these events are very important. Others argue that most of the bulbs will survive anyway. This opinion can be understood, since nature made sure that lilies survive in the cold season. But if you also help them do this, then the maximum number of bulbs will be preserved, and next year the gardener will again be pleased with his favorite lilies.

It is clear that even in the absence of preparation for winter, most of the bulbs can survive, but do not be surprised when the lilies are stunted and only a few weak stems appear instead of a bush. How to prepare a plant for winter is how it will overwinter. Therefore, if you want to see a lush and healthy bush next year, you need to properly prepare the lilies for the cold.

Even if the cottage is located in an area where severe frosts do not occur, care must be taken to protect the bulbs from flooding and damage by rodents. If you dream of creating a flowering flowerbed, but do not put any effort into it, it is better to abandon lilies and give preference to more hardy, but less beautiful flowers.

An experienced gardener begins to prepare lilies for winter after they are planted. To do this, it is necessary to determine the groundwater level. If it is high, then the bulbs may be flooded, so it is better to plant them on specially prepared raised beds, otherwise you will have to do drainage.

If the gardener lives in a temperate climate zone, then most types of lilies do not need to be dug out of the ground for the winter. Varieties such as Daurskaya, Royal Lily, Martagon and others survive frosts normally, and if they are additionally covered, they will overwinter well.

If there are rare varieties that people value, it is better not to take risks and save the bulbs in winter period in room. If we talk about Tubular, Oriental or American hybrids, they do not tolerate frost well and can die even if they are properly insulated for the winter. Therefore, it is better to grow expensive and valuable varieties in a greenhouse, and if this is not possible, then for the winter they must be removed from the soil and stored in a cool place.

It must be taken into account that it is necessary to dig up some varieties not only to protect them from the effects of negative temperatures, but also to improve the health of the plants. For example, Asian hybrids produce many babies in the summer, and if they are left in the ground for the winter, they will grow tightly to the main bulb, after which it will no longer be possible to separate them.

In the spring, when the lilies begin to develop, the children will take on a lot of nutrients and moisture, so the main plant will become weak and will develop and bloom poorly. In the fall, it is recommended to dig up the rhizomes, remove the babies from them, and then you can leave them to overwinter in the ground or put them indoors for storage.

Essential Fall Activities

We need to consider what to do with lilies in the fall and how to properly prepare them for winter. First of all, the stems are cut off, leaving about 10 cm above the ground. Some novice gardeners believe that the stems can be removed after the plant has flowered, but this is not so.

Nature itself knows what to do. If the plant did not need it after flowering aboveground part, then it would die off immediately, but this does not happen.

After the lily has bloomed, its bulb begins to store nutrients for the next year, and the process of photosynthesis occurs in the greenery remaining above the ground. It will be possible to cut the stems only after the natural drying process of the plant has begun.

After flowering, the lily forms a bulb. During this period of its development, it needs large quantities nutrients, so it is necessary to fertilize it. After the plant has flowered, it needs potassium and phosphate fertilizers, but nitrogen is not needed during this period yet.

If you decide to leave the plants in the ground for the winter, then in order to protect the bulbs from the negative effects negative temperatures, it is necessary to insulate them, for which you can use sawdust, straw, peat or leaves.

A good option is pine needles, since slugs do not settle in them and destroy young shoots. Mice and other rodents do not like prickly needles. It should be taken into account that the thickness of the mulch layer should be about 10 cm, so it should be poured to the height of the cut stems.

We should not forget that snow is good insulation. If there is a lot of it above the plants, then the layer of mulch can be made small, and vice versa. This work must be done after the ground begins to freeze.

Protection from excess moisture

In a region with a warm climate, Oriental, American and other hybrids can be left in the ground for the winter, but the characteristics of the varieties must be taken into account.

There are cases when the bulbs were well insulated, there were no severe frosts, but they still died. The reason in this case will not be the effect of low temperature, but the excess moisture that occurs due to melting snow or rain.

If there is such a possibility, then it is better to plant plants in high beds. Sand is first placed under the bulbs and the tubers are sprinkled with it on top, this allows excess moisture to be removed more quickly.

If you decide to leave it in the ground for the winter Oriental hybrids or similar varieties, then before frost appears the bed must be covered with peat. When the ground freezes a little, the bulbs are covered with a layer of pine needles or sawdust, and to protect them from flooding by melt water, also with film. In spring, the cover is removed, and peat, sawdust and pine needles serve as fertilizer.

It is important not only to cover it correctly, but also to free the bulbs from the film in time. This must be done after the snow has melted. If you open the bulbs too early, this can provoke their rapid development and at low temperatures the sprouts may be damaged. If you remove the mulch too late, the plant will have little light.

How to store bulbs indoors?

When the above-ground part of the lilies begins to die, it is cut off, the bulbs are carefully dug out, and the adhering soil is shaken off. Tubers are checked, diseased ones are removed, and dry scales and roots that were damaged during their removal from the ground are cut off from healthy ones.

The rhizomes must be washed, and the water temperature should be at room temperature. To disinfect planting material, you need to keep them in a weak solution of karbofos, potassium permanganate or Fundazol.

Dry the bulbs indoors, but they should not be exposed to sunlight. The process should be natural; there is no need to wipe the rhizomes or apply heat to them, as this can damage the roots and sprouts.

When the preparation of lilies is completed, it is necessary to preserve them until spring. To do this, you need to follow 2 basic rules:

1. 1 The storage place should be cool, with a temperature of about +1...+5°C.
2. 2 The room must be normal humidity, if it cannot be ensured, then it is better that it be low than high. To prevent the bulbs from drying out, they are covered with moss or cloth, but not polyethylene.

At home, you can store lily rhizomes in different places, but most often they use:

1. 1 Refrigerator. The bulbs are stored on the bottom shelf, for this they are placed in a bag and sprinkled with wet peat. It is necessary to take into account that if fruits are kept in the refrigerator, they emit ethylene, and this is harmful to lilies.
2. 2 Thermally insulated room - this can be a basement, garage, cellar or other, the main thing is that in severe frosts the temperature in it is not below zero. They are stored in a box, at the bottom of which peat or sand is poured, the bulbs are laid out on it and they are sprinkled with it on top.
3. 3 Loggia. The bulbs are placed in a heat-insulated box. It can be insulated with polystyrene foam or use an old, non-working refrigerator. To better protect the box from the cold, place it under the wall of the building.

If necessary, you can install a thermometer and a light bulb in such a box. When the temperature approaches zero, you will need to turn on the electricity, and this will raise the temperature to a safe level.

What to do when buying lilies in winter?

It happens that you manage to buy the necessary bulbs in the winter. If this happens, then you cannot keep them warm. It is best to store the tubers along with those that were dug up in the fall.

If lily bulbs resistant varieties, then they can be buried in the ground and covered with snow, but you need to remember that in winter this is a rather labor-intensive process. Better in autumn prepare a small hole and cover it with a lid. After purchasing the bulbs, they should be placed in the prepared hole and covered with peat or pieces of cardboard. To protect against rodents, you can use poison, after which you need to cover the hole with a lid and cover it with snow.

Periodically it is necessary to check the condition of the bulbs; if the roots begin to dry out, then they need to be moistened. When mold appears, it is necessary to dip the rhizomes in a solution of potassium permanganate.

In the spring, repeated culling is carried out, diseased rhizomes are removed, and on healthy bulbs the roots are cut to a length of about 5 cm.

Every gardener should take these tips as a basis, and over time it will be possible to develop their own technology that will ensure reliable storage of lily rhizomes, and next year they will again decorate the site, giving a good mood.

Lilies- favorite flowers of our woman Lucy. Every year they delight us with their lush, bright blooms. This is not to say that lilies are difficult to care for. The main problem is to preserve the variety. Because it happens that you plant a variety, it will bloom one year, and the next year it will completely lose all its varietal qualities (as grandma says, it will be cross-pollinated). Well, many novice flower growers are worried about another question: Should I dig up lilies for the winter and is it necessary? doing so Every year?

Today sources useful information became for us: the magazine “My blooming garden. Lilies" and the book "Care for Lilies". We also looked into video blogs.

To dig or not?

Lilies can grow well in one place for 3-4 years, and later their bulbs become loose, the flowers become smaller, and the plantings thicken. Therefore, once every 3-4 years, lily bulbs must be dug up and transplanted to another place. By replanting the bulbs, they can be divided and propagated. Or you can simply move it entirely to a new location if the existing plants are enough for you.

When is the best time to dig up lilies?

It is recommended to dig up and replant lily bulbs in the fall, after flowering. And if you didn’t have time, it’s okay, you can do it in the spring. Bulbs dug up in autumn are not winter storage They are not removed, but almost immediately transplanted to a new place. Before frost sets in, the bulbs have time to take root and bloom again the following year.

The lily bulb is dug up and inspected for damage and cuts. It is better to discard sick and low-quality planting material. If the roots are too long, they can be trimmed slightly, and if they are rotten or damaged, they can be cut out completely. Before planting, lily bulbs are disinfected in a solution of fungicide (fundazol, maxim) or potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water). Soaking time: 30 minutes.

The soil for lilies begins to be prepared 2 weeks before planting. The soil is dug up using a spade and all the weeds are picked out. Fertilizers are applied to the furrows (for 1 square meter - a bucket of humus, 200 g wood ash and 2 tablespoons complex mineral fertilizers) and dig again. The prepared bed is allowed to stand for 2 weeks, and then planting begins.

Just before planting, you can sprinkle a little river sand on the bottom of the grooves or holes, then rooting will happen faster. The planting depth for large bulbs is from 12 to 15 cm, for small ones - from 8 to 10 cm. At the end of planting, the soil is watered and mulched.

Do I need to dig up lilies every year?

There is no need to dig up lilies every year, much less remove them and store them in the cellar for the winter. Lilies feel great in the same place for 3-4 years. And after this period in the fall, after flowering, the bulbs can be dug up and moved to a new place. But you don’t need to do this every year, because it will be, as they say, “monkey work.”

Every year it becomes more and more popular, it can be found on virtually all personal plots. Many of its varieties take root well in our latitudes. This is not to say that lily is an unpretentious plant. This is not the one garden flower, which can please your eyes if you do not take care of it properly.

Sadovaya is becoming more and more popular every year; it can be found in virtually all personal plots. Many of its varieties take root well in our latitudes. This is not to say that lily is an unpretentious plant. This is not a garden flower that will please your eyes if you do not care for it properly.

Lilies are very elegant flowers with a completely unpredictable character. Look, everyone on the neighbor's property new season beautiful stems flaunt, abundantly strewn with fragrant flowers, but as luck would have it, they constantly get sick, bloom poorly, or even refuse to do so at all and sometimes even freeze to death.

What is the problem, how can it be solved? But the whole point is that you need to be able to take care of them and know how to properly prune lilies after flowering, when to dig them up and how to store the bulbs themselves.

In winter, lilies are stored as bulbs, without stems, so many new gardeners have a question: when should lilies be trimmed after flowering? This is a very correct question, since the future fate of the plant depends on the correct pruning of the stems. Let's now try to figure out whether it is necessary to trim the stems of lilies after flowering.

Should you prune lilies after flowering?

Many gardeners, as soon as their beautiful lilies fade, immediately have a mad desire to take pruners and cut off unattractive stems, as they begin to spoil their appearance the entire flower garden design. Should faded lilies be trimmed? If you ask experienced flower growers, the answer will be unequivocal: no.

1. To prevent your lilies from becoming an eyesore after flowering with protruding green sticks, add long-flowering plants to them, but under no circumstances cut off the stems immediately.
2. The fact is that lily bulbs are stored all season nutrients, which they will need in winter, and the ground part is needed for photosynthesis. Therefore, if you cut the stems immediately after flowering, the bulb will stop growing and developing and will be completely weakened by winter. She won't be able to build herself up to required sizes without stems, which, even withering, give it the necessary nutrients. And even if the plant manages to survive and take root, it will probably not be able to please you with beautiful flowers next season.
3. After your beauties have bloomed, wait for the last petals to fall and cut the seed boxes from the stems. Let the stems and leaves die naturally. This must happen before September. When you see that the stems have completely turned yellow and dried out, then you can go and safely cut them off. It is better if you prune at a height of 10-15 cm from the ground.
4. If you had plans to move to another place or want to dig up the bulbs for wintering, this should only be done 3-4 weeks after they bloom. But even in this case, you cannot trim the leaves and stems. Perfect option, of course, wait until late autumn. This way you will have well-strengthened bulbs on your hands, and this is excellent planting material. They will be able to survive replanting perfectly and overwinter or survive if they are in the cellar until the next season.

And finally, a little advice. If you are planning to cut your lilies for a bouquet (whatever one may say, they are bouquet flowers), you should carefully choose suitable plants. Opt for those that have more than five buds. Such bushes have a large bulb, it has already reached good sizes. But you shouldn’t cut the stems to the very roots, let the bulb have the opportunity to recover.

Lilies are one of the most common bulbous crops. Growing them on your own plot is not at all difficult. Success in this matter depends more than half on caring for lilies after flowering.

Lilies can be grown almost anywhere. It’s just that in regions with harsh winters they must be properly cared for. Experienced gardeners prefer to dig up lily bulbs in such a situation. But first things first.

Time and rules of pruning

Pruning is First stage preparing lilies for winter. The first pruning is carried out immediately after end of flowering, during it, the seed pods are cut off. If this is not done, the plant will spend its energy on producing seeds, which in turn will weaken the bulbs.

The next pruning is carried out in the fall in preparation for wintering. Usually this is the second half of September - early October. This time the stems are cut almost at the very base. After pruning is completed, plant residues must be burned or destroyed by any other in an accessible way. If this is not done, they become a breeding ground for pathogens of the most various diseases and a haven for pests.

Pruning is the initial stage of preparing lilies for winter.

Digging up the bulbs

In regions with cold climates, it is best to dig up lily bulbs for the winter. Especially such heat-loving groups as oriental, tubular and OT hybrids. Digging is best done in dry, sunny weather.

After removing the bulbs from the soil, the remaining soil is shaken off and they are examined externally. During it, all rotten, damaged and dry parts are removed. Then the planting material is thoroughly washed under running water and laid out for further drying. Experienced gardeners prefer to etch the bulbs in a pink solution of potassium permanganate before drying.. It effectively destroys most putrefactive microorganisms.

How to treat lilies after flowering (video)

Storing lily bulbs in winter

After preliminary drying and disinfection, the lily bulbs are placed for winter storage. There are several main ways to store them in winter:

1. Storage in peat. To preserve planting material using this method, the bulbs are placed in plastic bags with holes and covered with a layer of slightly damp peat. After this, the packages are placed in a basement or frost-free cellar. It is best if the temperature at the storage location in winter is within 2-3°C. Higher temperatures are undesirable, as they can provoke premature growth of planting material.
2. Storage in a household refrigerator. If there are only a few bulbs, they can be stored in the vegetable compartment of a regular refrigerator until planting time. To do this, after processing and drying, they are placed in bags with sawdust. During the winter, they should be checked periodically and all diseased and rotten specimens should be removed.
3. In pots. This method of preserving planting material is forced and is used only if the bulbs begin to germinate ahead of time. Sprouted bulbs are planted in containers of suitable volume with loose nutritious soil, after which they are transferred to a cool and bright place.

After preliminary drying and disinfection, the lily bulbs are placed in winter storage.

Preparing lilies for winter in warm regions

In warmer regions, there is no need to dig up lily bulbs. Most species can winter there even without additional shelter. Preparing them for wintering in such conditions involves pruning the stems after the onset of a steady cold snap. Also, for greater reliability, the location of the bushes can be covered with a layer of earth.

Feeding and other types of care for lilies in the fall

Caring for lilies in the countryside autumn period in addition to preparing them for wintering, it also includes the following activities:

1. Fertilizer application. It is carried out immediately after the end of the flowering period. This feeding promotes better ripening of the bulbs. A mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulfate is used for it.
2. Preventive treatment. With the onset of September, lilies need to be treated with any fungicidal preparation. For example, you can use Bordeaux mixture. This treatment effectively prevents the development of various fungal diseases.
3. Trimming stems. By the end of September, the stems of the lilies begin to gradually dry out. Now all that remains is to trim them at a height of 10-15 cm from the soil surface.
4. Mulching. It is carried out before the onset of a stable cold snap. Its main purpose is to protect the bulbs in the event of a snowy winter and saturate the soil with organic matter.

Fertilizers are applied immediately after the end of the flowering period.

Shelter as the main way to prepare lilies for winter

Creating a winter shelter is one of the most important and responsible stages of caring for lilies in the autumn. In places with warm climates this is not necessary, but in other regions lilies need to be covered.

As a shelter for them, you can use a layer of coniferous spruce branches or peat. You can also use fallen leaves or sawdust for these purposes. It is necessary to create a shelter after the onset of a steady cold snap, but before the soil freezes.

Some particularly sensitive lily species, e.g. Tubular or o-hybrids are best covered dry. To do this, a frame is built above the location of the bush from scraps of boards or any other available material. A layer of dry sawdust or peat is poured into it. After this, the shelter is covered from above with a piece of film or roofing felt.

The further development and flowering of lilies largely depends on how correctly their wintering was organized. Therefore, it is worth taking care in advance to create appropriate conditions for them.

Lily pest control methods (video)

Protecting lilies from rodents and pests

The worst enemy of lily bulbs in winter is rodents.. Without appropriate protective measures, they can cause significant damage to lily beds. The simplest protective measure against them is various baits with a poisonous effect. Before the onset of winter, they are laid out on beds with lilies. From modern methods fight, it is worth noting special ultrasonic repellers. They work effectively, but their price is quite high.

Special plastic containers can also be used to prevent rodent attacks. Bulbs are placed in them before planting. But when using them, once every 2-3 years, the bulb nests will have to be dug up and divided. You can purchase these containers at gardening stores. Another measure to combat rodents in winter is to trample paths after heavy snowfall.

The greatest danger to lilies is the fireman beetle.

Harmful insects can also cause significant harm lilies. The greatest danger to them is the lily beetle, also known as the fireman beetle.. At the slightest danger, he falls to the ground with his belly up, pretending to be dead. He, like his larvae, actively feed on the leaves and stems of lilies, while transporting various viral diseases. The beetle and its larvae are highly resistant to insecticides. Therefore, the best control measure is hand collection.

You can also find other pests on lilies:

1. Thripsov.
2. Spider mite.
3. Lily fly.

To destroy them, insecticidal preparations should be used. For example, “Aktara”, “Commander”, “Aktellik” show good results. They should be used according to the attached instructions.

The best measure to combat the fireman beetle is manual collection.

When to open lilies in spring

They begin to free lilies from their winter shelter immediately after the snow melts. You cannot delay this activity; in conditions of excess humidity, bulbs that have successfully overwintered may simply dry out. In most regions, winter shelter removal begins in the second half of April. More precise dates depend on specific climatic conditions. Next, you need to care for the lilies according to the following scheme: loosening the soil, fertilizing, watering and preventive treatments.

The variety of varieties and colors of lilies allows you to create flower beds with a wide variety of color solutions and timing of flowering. Their growth and abundance of flowering largely depend on care. At proper agricultural technology they produce a very powerful peduncle with an abundance of large flowers.

There are many opinions about preparing lilies for winter. Some argue that preparing lilies for winter is not necessary, they will survive the winter anyway and will even bloom better, others advise covering the plants with fallen leaves for the winter, and still others believe that you should definitely dig up lily bulbs in the fall.

The reason for such opposing opinions is that the wintering of lilies directly depends on their variety, as well as on the region in which they are grown. So, in middle lane In Russia, you can leave Asian hybrids, OA, OT, LA hybrids, Daurian lily, Pennsylvania lily and martagon in the ground for the winter. Royal lilies and candidum tolerate winter well under cover. But how to preserve lilies belonging to the Oriental, Tubular, American hybrids, which are not adapted to the harsh Russian winter? These varieties are either planted in the ground in the summer or even grown in greenhouses; they can overwinter only with careful shelter.

Are lilies dug up for the winter?

One of the most important questions about harvesting lilies for the winter is to dig them up or leave them to winter on the site? There is no definite answer to this; it all depends on the variety and climatic features of this area. One thing can be said for sure - those varieties that were bred specifically for cultivation in a given area can be safely left for wintering in open ground, given that proper preparation, of course. For example, the tiger lily, widespread throughout the post-Soviet space, carries open winter quarters absolutely calm even without special shelter. More delicate and exotic varieties must be dug up, otherwise they will die at the first serious frost. This is especially true for lilies belonging to trumpet, oriental, Asian and American varieties. Hybrids of LA lilies also definitely need to be dug up for the winter, since without this agricultural practice such lilies will not bloom again.

Digging bulbs: timing and technology

One of the most popular methods for overwintering a lily is to dig up its bulbs, which are then stored in a cool, dry place until spring. Of course, many varieties can spend all the cold in the ground under cover. But remember that even winter-hardy lilies need to be dug up periodically: during the growing season, the mother bulb can become overgrown with daughter bulbs, which will take a considerable part of the moisture and nutrients from their parent. If they are not removed in time, flowering will not be as lush or will stop altogether. That's why experienced gardeners Bulbs of all varieties are regularly dug up to inspect, sort and process the planting material.

pay attention to optimal timing autumn digging bulbs for different groups of hybrids:

Asian hybrids and LA class hybrids (Longiflorum-Asiatic). This includes cold-resistant and unpretentious plants which can overwinter in open ground. However, during the growing season they form a mass of daughter bulbs, so every year in mid-August (15th - 20th) they must be dug up.

American hybrids and OT class hybrids (Oriental-Tubular). They do not need frequent digging, since their daughter bulbs appear in smaller numbers. If necessary, excavation is carried out between August 25 and September 1.

Oriental hybrids. They are also slow to grow small bulbs, but they tolerate winter well. Excavation dates fall on September 1 - 5.

Digging is carried out only after the above-ground part of the plant droops and turns yellow. This means that the bulb has accumulated a sufficient amount of useful substances and is ready for winter. If the stems and leaves are still green by the above dates, the procedure is postponed to the last days of September. An exception is made in cases where you dig up lilies not for storage, but for autumn transplant. Then the bulbs are dug up no later than September 10, otherwise the plant will not have time to take root in the new place.

It is best to dig up the bulbs with a pitchfork rather than a shovel, so as not to damage the planting material. Then they are carefully pulled out of the ground, holding the stem with their hands, and shaken off the ground.

Pruning lilies for the winter

Before covering or digging up lily bulbs, it is important to correct pruning. Rushing will not lead to anything good. Early, forced pruning of flower stalks weakens the plant, preventing it from accumulating nutrients. Such a bulb the next year is characterized by slow growth, lack of flowering or shredding of flowers.

In autumn, you need to wait for the natural wilting of the above-ground part of the lily. Pruning is carried out in dry weather. Cut leaves and flower stalks must be removed from the garden bed. Slugs often overwinter in plant debris, which in early spring damage the tender tops of young lily shoots.

Feeding lilies for the winter

Speaking about feeding lilies, it should be noted that better feeding administer in doses, but often. If potassium nitrate is available, then use it at 30 g/m2, but if not, then as complementary food, you can mix ammonium nitrate (25 g/m2) with potassium sulfate (15 g/m2) or potassium magnesium ( 30 g/m2). The procedure should be repeated after two weeks and a third time after 10-15 days, the dosage should not be changed until budding. During budding, the dose of phosphates and potassium should be increased by one and a half times.

The next feeding from ammonium nitrate(10 g/m2), potassium sulfate (25 g/m2) and superphosphate (30 g/m2) is carried out approximately in September or late August.

Snow-white lilies, tubular hybrids and other species that prefer slightly alkaline or neutral soils should be fed exclusively with calcium nitrate (40-50 g/m2).

The next two feedings are carried out from mid-September to early October with the same fertilizers of potassium and phosphates. The second feeding is carried out in dry form.

How and how to cover lilies for the winter

In most cases, additional cover garden lilies is not required, they only need a natural covering of snow with a layer of 10 cm or more. Humus or sawdust can be used as a covering material. Sprinkle on top with a layer of up to 10 cm. If the winter has little snow, then add sawdust or leaves on top of this layer in a layer of about 15 cm. You can put low wooden boxes, boards made of boards on top, and again cover with a layer of fallen leaves on top. To protect against mice, poisoned baits are laid out.

You need to remove the winter shelter on time - as the snow melts. If you remove the shelter too late, due to lack of light, the lilies will produce very thin sprouts that have difficulty breaking through the foliage. And removing mulch too early stimulates strong growth of lilies, as a result of which delicate shoots may be damaged by frost. You can finally remove the shelter when the danger of frost below -8* has passed. Regale and candidum lilies can also be damaged by late spring frosts. If there is a threat of frost, the stems of lilies should be covered with paper, spunbond or film.

Many experienced flower growers Oriental hybrids of lilies, which do not have good winter hardiness, are also left in their flower beds. The success of wintering these species depends entirely on how to prepare lilies for winter, taking into account their characteristics. The fact is that Oriental hybrids are not recommended to be left in the flower garden for the winter, not because they freeze out, but because they get wet under deep snowdrifts and suffer from excess moisture in the spring. Therefore, if you are interested in how to preserve lilies for the winter, you need to make sure that they overwinter in fairly dry conditions.

Dry wintering of lilies

Lilies tolerate dry wintering well, especially oriental and trumpet varieties. To ensure this, it is necessary to cover the wintering area well with waterproof material. The soil should also be dry by then. First add a special rodent poison, because... they lead an active lifestyle for a long time and can significantly damage the bulbs or completely destroy them over the winter.

It is not advisable to buy new lily bulbs in the fall and plant them. It's better to do this in early spring

Roofing material or thick film are suitable as covering materials. You can also cover the lilies with durable cardboard. As a result of such wintering, the bulbs reproduce well, grow well and bloom magnificently. As soon as the snow has completely melted on the site, you can remove the shelter.

Latest articles about gardening

How to prepare lilies for winter in unstable weather conditions

In areas characterized by winters with frequent temperature changes, lilies are usually dug up for wintering in more favorable conditions. The procedure for extracting a flower from the ground must be carried out before the onset of the first cold weather. The bushes are dug up along with a lump of earth and placed in special boxes or pots with soil prepared in advance for this purpose. After this, the flowerpots are usually placed in a cellar with zero temperature. This is done so that the lily does not freeze, but is in a state of hibernation. As spring approaches, the flowerpots are placed in a warm place, where the plant’s bulbs begin to produce their first shoots. At this time, the lily is fed, watered and prepared for spring planting in open ground.

If additional soil insulation is necessary

Agrofibre is mainly used for these purposes. It warms and guarantees sufficient air exchange. Everything else will be provided by the fallen snow. Depending on the region, the soil can also be covered with peat or a layer of humus for the winter. This includes additional insulation and replenishment of the soil with organic matter. On a note! Shelter from areas where lilies overwinter must be removed in time. If this is done too early, the bulbs will sprout shoots that may freeze, since the air temperature is still low. Late “exposure” of the soil will lead to the fact that due to a lack of light, lilies will begin to develop poorly, and weak shoots are unlikely to break through the soil. Before the lilies are protected from frost, the soil must be enriched with nutrients (if organic matter has not been scattered). The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers is strictly prohibited! They initiate the development of green mass, and on the eve of winter, lilies absolutely do not need this. In addition, drugs of this group reduce the frost resistance of plants.