Edible Lily Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques

SummarySite selection and land preparation: Edible lilies should be planted in deep, fertile soil with good drainage and irrigation and a sunny aspect; continuous cropping is not suitable. Apply base fertilizer before planting, then deep-plow the soil. Seed selection: Choose bulbs that are pure white in color, free of pitting, free of bitterness, and have large scales. Sowing and pinching: Sowing is suitable in September-October; after sowing, cover with rice straw or leaves to retain moisture, avoid waterlogging, and promptly top and pinch the growing tips. Field management: After sowing, cover with plastic mulch and apply topdressing at the right time.

I. Site Selection and Land Preparation

1. Edible lilies can be planted on plots that are sunny, high-lying, have good drainage and irrigation, and have deep, fertile soil. Edible lilies are not suitable for continuous cropping, nor can they be rotated with onion or garlic crops; the preceding crop is best a legume or grass-family crop.

2. Before planting, apply 5000-6000 jin of decomposed organic fertilizer and 50 jin of superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer, and use 1.2 jin of 50% diazinon for soil disinfection, then deep-plow the soil 25-30cm. When plowing, thoroughly mix the base fertilizer with the soil, which helps improve the soil's physical and chemical properties and creates excellent conditions for the edible lily's root growth and bulb expansion.

II. Selecting Seed Bulbs

1. The propagation rate of edible lilies is relatively low, and the amount of seed needed is very large. For planting edible lilies, Longya lily is the best in quality; this variety has plump scales, a shape like dragon teeth, is pure white and tender, has no bitterness, commands a high price, and sells well.

2. When introducing edible lily seed, choose bulbs that are pure white in color, free of pitting, free of bitterness, and have large scales. Generally, medium bulbs of 50-60g can be selected for planting, and about 300-400 jin of bulbs are needed per mu.

III. Sowing at the Right Time and Pinching

1. The suitable sowing period for edible lilies is late September to early October; after sowing, seedlings do not emerge until early March of the following year. In hilly and mountainous areas, the sowing specification is 40cm×30cm row-to-plant spacing, with a population density of more than 6000 plants per mu. After sowing, cover with rice straw or leaves to retain moisture, and keep the plot dry; there must be no standing water in the field.

2. Pinching can be carried out when the plant has grown more than 60 leaves and the daily average temperature has not exceeded 23°C. Pinching at the right time gives a higher yield than pinching late; the more leaves retained when pinching at the right time, the greater the yield increase. When the seedlings grow to 30-35cm, promptly top and pinch the growing tips, which helps promote the concentration of nutrients transported to the bulb.

IV. Field Management and Fertilization

After sowing, promptly cover with plastic mulch. In early spring, the mulch needs to be covered for 30-40 days, which can shorten the seedling emergence period by 7-15 days and increase yield by about 12%. To prevent the green leaves from withering early in the later stage and to prolong leaf lifespan, in late June, when bulb expansion slows, apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate + 0.3%-0.5% urea mixed solution as a foliar topdressing once. In early July, apply 20 jin of high-grade compound fertilizer diluted in 100 jin of water per mu as a foliar spray to prevent premature senescence of the plants.

V. Pest and Disease Control

1. Within 1-2 days after sowing, spray 50-80g of acetochlor per mu to prevent weed growth. During the edible lily's growth period, the main pests and diseases are aphids, cutworms, and viral diseases.

2. In the early stage of viral disease, spray 300-fold solution of Antivirus No. 1, or 1000-fold solution of 1.5% Zhibingling emulsifiable concentrate; spray once every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. If aphids appear after seedling emergence, use 40% omethoate for control. In late April, apply 1 jin of phoxim per mu into the soil to control underground pests.