What to do with lilies after they have faded
The lily bloom is a stunning sight, but unfortunately it is not durable. After the last buds have bloomed and bloom, an unsightly long stick with fading foliage remains in place of a gorgeous peduncle with a lush cap of inflorescences. Some growers are in a hurry to completely remove it so as not to spoil the appearance of the flower bed, and then sincerely wonder why the bulb is weakened. In order not to harm the still growing bulb, it is important to know what to do next when the lilies fade, because you should not stop at this if you want the plant to retain a healthy look and please not only with large inflorescences, but also with new offspring.
So, caring for a lily after flowering includes a set of measures, namely:
- minimal cropping;
- top dressing;
- if necessary, transplantation and reproduction.
How to properly prune faded lilies?
As you know, the lily feeds not only through the roots, but also from the leaves and peduncles, increasing its mass, so there is no need to rush to cut it off completely. It is simple enough to start with removing only the wilted remains of the inflorescences, and then gradually shorten the peduncle, but only after it begins to dry out. Until that time, being in a green and lively state, the flower stalk and leaves provide the growing bulb with additional nutrition, making it stronger and larger. The cut itself must be done obliquely so that during precipitation moisture flows down and does not accumulate, leading to decay.
The exception is when the goal is to get seeds - then the inflorescences are left and wait for the seeds to ripen.
How to fertilize a lily after flowering?
Autumn feeding is a crucial moment in the care of lilies, as it helps to lay flower buds for the next season. After pruning under the bush, you can apply the following fertilizers:
- wood ash;
- superphosphate;
- potassium magnesium.
It is absolutely impossible to bring in fresh organic matter - it will burn the bulbs.
How often should lilies be replanted?
In one place, a lily can grow quietly for 4-5 years. But during this time, the bush grows overgrown with children and becomes thick, as a result of which, although it looks beautiful and magnificent, the flowers themselves become noticeably smaller. To restore large caps of inflorescences, at 5-6 years of life, lilies must be planted, at the same time multiplying them.
It is best to do this in the fall, a couple of weeks after the end of flowering, but not earlier than the peduncle (stem) will die off.
In addition, some lily varieties cannot hibernate in open ground (for example, tubular), and in the fall they must be dug up and stored until spring.
Hello, in many articles it is written that the peduncle needs to be broken out of the bulb itself, and there is a hole left, I wonder if it will rot from this? I did not find this information in your article.
I never cut the peduncle near the bulb itself. It is necessary to leave at least 1-2 cm. Gradually, the cutting itself will dry up and fall off.if the bulbs are not dug up for the winter, then I cut them at ground level.