Oriental Lily Care

A Lilium species, oriental lilies have an extremely high commercial value, they along with a few more members of its genus are highly favored as commercial cut flowers. This lily can be easily grown in home gardens too with a little bit of information about its bulb handling and planting, growth habits and care.

Oriental lilies are hybrids developed from crossing East Asian species. This hybrid produces larger flowers with a wide color range such as white, pink, red, apricot, plum and yellow hues with varying shapes such as a trumpet, recurved, bowl-shaped, furled edges, etc, and patterns like stripped, ribbed or just plain. A plant from a single bulb attains a height between 24-36 inches and will carry several flowers that bloom successively on one stem. Each flower looks spectacular as there is an interplay of shades within the same color, the petal edge is a shade lighter than the center. Each flower has six prominent anthers that contain pollen.

How to Grow Oriental Lilies: Oriental lilies cultivars vary height wise; 18 inches to 5 feet tall. One can get healthy bulbs from most plant nursery stores. The bulbs can be rounded or oblong in shape, must be firm and free of any fungal growth. One can even use last season's stored bulbs. Popular fragrant long time bloomers include the hybrid varieties - Stargazer and Casa Blanca.

Oriental lily bulbs should be planted in a location that receives four to six hours of full sun. They can be planted in pots and placed indoors in a spot that is well-lit. The soil should be well-drained, fertile with lots of organic compost added to it. Avoid fertilizing the soil. Maintain the soil pH balance at 5.6 to 6.5. Bulbs can be started after the last frost date for an early flowering, or February and March for a late summer bloom. Space bulbs 9-12 inches apart when planting in clumps, or individually when in pots. The depth should be deep enough to take in the entire bulb along with the root ball. Mound the soil, leaving only an inch of the bulb tip uncovered. Plant bulbs early morning or late evening. Water thoroughly.

How to Take Care of Oriental Lilies: One can even mulch around the bulbs with straw or grass to keep the bulbs cool and the area weed free. However, mulching is optional. Within a couple of months lots of leaves will sprout and new flower stalks will begin to appear. Fertilize only once when the buds begin to appear with a low nitrogen fertilizer. As flowers begin to bloom and wilt away, keep removing deadheads to encourage successive blooming. If you want to enjoy these blooms as cut flowers, simply cut half the stalk. Never cut foliage, foliage is needed to ensure the plant's vitality. Cut the flower's stems early morning.

Once all flowering is spent, continue watering until the stem and leaves turn yellow on their own account. Give the plant a hard prune till the base. One can allow the bulbs to stay in the ground and multiply, or remove bulbs and store until next planting season. Bulbs left in the ground should be divided every three years. Store bulbs after allowing them to dry naturally in a ventilated place, dust with some germicidal powder and store in a mesh bag.

Oriental lilies create a dramatic visual impact when mass planted. However, these beautiful blooms can be grown individually too. With numerous colors, shapes and sizes, and essential care, one will have a summer flower garden full of colorful vibrancy.