Lilies for the winter: how to prepare flowers? Video
Gardeners know that lilies need a special attitude: before the onset of winter cold, it is customary to dig them up. However, some amateur flower growers assure that flowers can overwinter in the ground, it is enough to take simple “safety” measures. Experts tell all about winter care for lilies.
Lilies: how to prepare for winter
Traditional preservation of bulbs
If you bought lilies in winter or spring, then in order for them to survive until planting, you need to place a healthy bulb in sphagnum moss (you can buy it at any flower shop), slightly moistened beforehand. The onion should then be wrapped in dry paper or newspaper and placed in the refrigerator, where you usually store vegetables. Bulbs should be checked every two weeks. If the paper in which they are wrapped becomes damp, it must be replaced.
If you have dug lily bulbs out of the ground where they have bloomed in the summer, rinse them thoroughly with warm running water and laundry soap. This is necessary to rid the bulbs of the onion mite, which is a serious danger to lilies. The tick tolerates winter well and is difficult to remove. Therefore, if you see damage from this insect on the bulb, cut them off carefully with a sharp knife, rinse again with warm water and process the sections with green paint. Discard the slices immediately.
After wintering, previously damaged bulbs should not be planted with healthy ones.
When summer is over, you need to take care of the already growing lilies as follows. Cut off the stems as soon as they turn yellow. To prevent possible diseases from spreading throughout the site, it is better to burn the stems, rather than throw them in a place for compost. If your lilies have been growing on the site for more than one year, they need to be divided. To do this, dig up all the bulbs completely. Divide them into large and small ones and plant them on the site, having previously fertilized the soil well. Small bulbs are best planted on the sunny side, where they should grow well.
Lilies tolerate dry wintering well, especially oriental and tubular varieties. To ensure it, it is necessary to cover the wintering site well with waterproof material. The ground should also be dry by that time. Put special rodent poison first, because they lead an active lifestyle for a long time and can significantly spoil the bulbs or completely destroy them during the winter.
Buying new lily bulbs in the fall and planting them is undesirable. Better to do it in early spring.
Roofing material or thick film is suitable as a covering material. You can also cover the lilies with sturdy cardboard. As a result of such overwintering, the bulbs reproduce well, grow well and bloom beautifully. Once the snow has completely melted in the area, you can remove the shelter.