Lily Blooming Time, How Many Times It Blooms a Year, and the Best Planting Period

Lilies are mainly produced in Hunan, Sichuan, Henan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and are grown all over the country, with a small portion being wild resources. In recent years there have been many new varieties produced through artificial hybridization, such as Oriental lilies and fire lilies. So when do lilies bloom? How many times do they bloom a year, and when is the flowering period? What is the best time to plant them? Here is a summary for you:

When do lilies bloom

Lily blooming time: they bloom from November —— to early February of the following year.

How many times they bloom a year

Under natural conditions, a lily blooms only once a year. However, with human intervention, it is not impossible for it to bloom twice a year, though this comes at the cost of damaging the bulb.

The specific method: after the lily flowers fade, cut off the flower stalk, keep 2~3 leaves, water appropriately, and after the above-ground part withers, dig out the bulb, wrap it in soil, place it in the crisper compartment of the refrigerator, and replant it after 1~2 months. Once it grows leaves, it will gradually bloom!

How to grow lilies (basic knowledge):

Best planting time: the best time to plant lilies is August-September.

Best growing soil: lilies are not demanding about soil, but in deep, fertile, loose sandy loam the bulbs are white in color and thicker in flesh. Heavy clay soil is not suitable for cultivation. The root system is thick and well developed, and tolerant of fertilizer.

Growing humidity requirements: after planting lilies, water thoroughly. Before emergence, water in a timely manner to keep the potting soil moist, so as to facilitate rooting and emergence, but do not overwater, to avoid bulb rot.

Best growing temperature: the temperature for lily growth and blooming is 16-24°C; below 5°C or above 30°C growth almost stops, and the plant only grows normally above 10°C; when it exceeds 25°C growth stalls again. If the winter nighttime temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and bud development will be seriously affected, delaying blooming or even causing blind flowers and split flowers.

Best growing light: lilies have different requirements for light intensity at different growth stages. During the bud stage, shading treatment is needed, and if the leaf temperature is too high, appropriate shading should also be provided. At other growth stages, light should be increased, especially during the flower development stage.

Notes on growing lilies:

Fertilizer application: from the growing stage to the flowering stage, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every 14 days, and add 2 applications of phosphorus and potassium liquid fertilizer during the flowering period. After lilies emerge in spring, they require sufficient nitrogen nutrition and adequate phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, N:P:K=1:0.8:1, and the fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer.

Key watering points: after planting lilies, water thoroughly. Before emergence, water in a timely manner to keep the potting soil moist, so as to facilitate rooting and emergence, but do not overwater, to avoid bulb rot. During the growing period, just keep the potting soil moist normally; water a little more during the vigorous growth period and in dry weather, but do not let water accumulate, to prevent rot. Reduce watering after flowering.

Pruning method: to make the bulb plump, lilies can be cut off at the base after flowering to reduce nutrient consumption, because flowering has already used up a lot of the bulb's nutrients. If you want to keep the bulb, you must continue fertilizing to replenish the bulb's nutrients. After one month, you can dig out the bulb, cut off the fibrous roots, refrigerate it for a period to break dormancy, and plant it again later, but the flower quality will decline.

Repotting the soil: for varieties that bloom profusely but have weak stems, stakes can be set up to prevent the flowering branches from breaking. To promote larger, more vivid flowers and bulb enlargement, some bulbils can be removed to control nutrient consumption. Usually after 3 years they should be repotted and replanted.

Propagation points: both asexual propagation and sexual propagation are possible.