A Detailed Guide to Lily Planting Methods That Beginners Can Easily Master
Because the demand for lilies in the market is very high, growing lilies is also a flower-growing technique that many flower farmers must master. Those who have grown lilies generally know that lilies prefer a somewhat humid environment, and plenty of sunlight is even better. Below we will introduce the specific cultivation techniques for lilies and the points that need attention during the growing process!
Lily Planting Methods
1. Soil preparation
Lilies are intolerant of continuous cropping and afraid of waterlogging, so a deep, fertile, loose loam or sandy loam with good drainage should be chosen for planting. The soil should be deep-ploughed 30 cm, and the base fertilizer should be thoroughly decomposed. Apply 2500-3000 kg of barnyard manure per mu, 100-150 kg of composted cake fertilizer, and 20-30 kg of superphosphate, then plough and harrow them into the soil, level the ground and make beds, and dig deep drainage ditches around the perimeter to facilitate drainage.
Some varieties of Asiatic and Easter lilies can be planted in neutral or slightly alkaline soil, while Oriental lilies require slightly acidic or neutral soil. If the soil pH is unsuitable, it must be improved. Lilies are sensitive to soil salinity, so after the first crop of flowers is harvested, if conditions permit, flood irrigation should be used to leach salts or the soil should be replaced; otherwise the second crop of flowers may develop the physiological disease of iron-deficiency chlorosis. In old growing areas, a 3-4 year crop rotation should be implemented.
2. Bulb selection
For Asiatic lilies, bulbs with a circumference of 12-14 cm are best, and 10-12 cm bulbs can also be used. For Easter lily bulbs, apart from the best specification of 12-14 cm in circumference, other varieties can use bulbs of 10-12 cm in circumference.
The bulb specification for Oriental lilies should be above 16 cm in circumference, and for some varieties 14-16 cm bulbs may also be selected. The bulbs should be intact and free of pests and diseases.
3. Planting
The planting time mainly depends on the market time of the cut flowers and the growth period of the lily variety. In Kunming, planting can be done year-round. Taking normal flower production as the basis, for cut flowers to reach the market from late November to early January, planting can be done from late August to early September; if continuous flower production is desired from November to the following April, the bulbs can be cold-stored and taken out successively for planting before January. The planting density varies with variety, bulb size and season. Asiatic hybrids: 50-60 bulbs per sq m; Oriental hybrids and Trumpet hybrids: 45-55 bulbs per sq m; for the same variety, large bulbs should be spaced more thinly and small bulbs more densely; in winter when sunlight is weak, they should be spaced more thinly than in spring and autumn. The planting depth can be about 6 cm in winter and about 8 cm in summer.
4. Soil, fertilizer and water management
Lilies like moisture during the growing period but are afraid of waterlogging. Immediately after planting, give one thorough watering, then just keep the soil moist; it must not be too wet. Water must not be lacking during the flower bud differentiation stage, the budding stage, and the low-temperature treatment stage after flowering. Lilies like fertilizer; topdress 3-4 weeks after planting, mainly with nitrogen and potassium, applying little but often. However, alkaline and fluorine-containing fertilizers should be avoided to prevent leaf scorch. Under normal circumstances, acidic chemical fertilizers such as urea, ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate can be used; never apply compound fertilizers or fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate.
5. Light and temperature management
Lilies are relatively sensitive to temperature, and three periods are key in management. The first period is within 20-30 days after planting, when the temperature must not exceed 30°C, and Asiatic lilies require no higher than 25°C. The second period is from budding to before cut flower harvest; if the temperature continues below 5°C or above 30°C, it will cause calyx splitting. The third period is the low-temperature treatment stage after flowering, when the daytime maximum temperature should be controlled below 15-18°C and the minimum temperature should be kept above 0°C. In summer production, moderate shading should be used to lower the temperature.
Lilies' Requirements for Soil
1. Lilies require soil that is rich in humus, with a deep and loose soil layer, and sandy loam that can retain appropriate moisture while draining well is best; clay soil must absolutely not be used for planting lilies.
2. Lilies like slightly acidic soil. The suitable soil pH for Asiatic and Trumpet lilies is 6-7, and the suitable soil pH for Oriental lilies is 5.5-6.5; lilies are generally not salt-tolerant, and the fluorine and chlorine content in the soil is required to be below 50 mg/L, with the total soil salinity not exceeding 1.5 ms/cm.
Harvesting and Storage of Lily Cut Flowers
1. Harvesting: Harvest only after at least 2-3 flower buds have shown color. Harvesting too early affects flower color, making the flowers look pale and unattractive, and some buds will not open. Harvesting too late will make post-harvest handling and packaging difficult, the petals will be stained by pollen, and the already opened flowers will release ethylene, greatly shortening the vase life of the flowers.
2. Handling: After harvesting, remove the lower 10 cm of leaves, then grade and bundle. A 10 cm grade interval is appropriate. For lilies tied in one bunch, the longest stem and the shortest stem should preferably differ by no more than 5 cm, with the flower tops aligned.
3. Storage: After bundling, lilies should immediately be placed in clean, pre-chilled water and then put into a cold storage room; the temperature of the water and the cold storage room should preferably be 2-3°C.
Lily Planting Time
The planting time is best from August to September. Apply sufficient base fertilizer one month before planting and deep-plough the soil; compost and plant ash can be used as base fertilizer. Planting should be relatively deep, generally 3-4 times the diameter of the bulb, to facilitate nutrient uptake by the roots and stems.
Pot planting is best done from September to October. The growing medium should preferably be mixed with leaf mold, sand and garden soil in a 1:1:1 ratio, and the bottom of the pot should be given sufficient thoroughly decomposed compost and a small amount of bone meal as base fertilizer. The planting depth is generally about 2-3 times the diameter of the bulb.
I believe that after reading the above article on lily planting techniques, everyone should have a relatively in-depth understanding of growing lilies. In fact, as long as we plant lilies once, we will find that lilies are actually a very easy flower to grow, and lilies are very beautiful; a whole expanse of lilies looks extremely pleasing to the eye!