Late-stage Management and Plastic Mulching Methods for Lily Cultivation

I. Late-stage Management

1) Timely removal of bulbils. Bulbil harvesting should be done on sunny days, and care must be taken to prevent breaking the plants and knocking off the upper green leaves.

2) Shading to lower temperature and clearing ditches to reduce humidity. Shading is a measure to prevent high temperatures; adding a straw cover at the seedling stage can reduce water evaporation and lower soil temperature for the late-stage growth of lilies.

3) Increase fertilizer application. After bulbils are harvested, the leaf color of lilies gradually becomes lighter, indicating that nutrients have become imbalanced, and nutrients must be increased to prevent premature aging of the lilies. At this time, an appropriate amount of quick-acting chemical fertilizer should be applied as a supplement. During the flowering period of lilies, applying 20 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per mu with water can achieve good results. In addition, spraying a 0.2% concentration of potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves can also meet the late-stage phosphorus and potassium needs of lilies.

II. Plastic Film Mulching

Plastic film mulching has a clear effect on increasing soil temperature, raising accumulated temperature, promoting the growth of lily seed roots during the overwintering period, and promoting early seedling emergence. Because the seedlings emerge early, the growth amount increases, and the growth period is advanced, an effect of early maturity and increased yield can be achieved.

1) Covering the film. The purpose of covering the film is to retain moisture and increase temperature.

2) Removing or breaking the film. After plastic film mulching, lilies can emerge in early March, generally about half a month earlier than those without film mulching. At this point, the film can be removed or broken.