How to grow lilies? Detailed guide to cultivation methods and precautions

The lily is also known as juan dan, fanshan dan, and other names. The leaves of the lily are opposite, broad and sparse, hence the name large-leaf lily. Several flowers bloom on the upper part of the stem, the petals curl backward outward, the stamens extend beyond the petals, the flowers are white and pale red, and the petals are marked with rose-colored patterns and spots, shaped like the markings on a deer's body, hence the elegant name deer lily. So how are lilies cultivated? What good methods are there in cultivation? What precautions need to be taken in cultivation? Please read on with me, carrying your questions!

I. Lily cultivation methods (basic knowledge)

Best propagation time: The best propagation time for lilies is September to October.

Best growing soil: Lilies are suitable for growing in slightly acidic sandy loam rich in humus and with good drainage, and are not suitable for planting in dry calcareous soil.

Growing humidity requirements: The relative humidity should preferably be 80%-85%, and large fluctuations in relative humidity should be avoided, otherwise leaf scorch may occur.

Best growing temperature: The growing and flowering temperature for lilies is 16-24°C. Below 5°C or above 30°C, growth almost stops; only above 10°C do plants grow normally; when it exceeds 25°C, growth stalls again.

Best growing light: Lilies prefer an environment with ample sunlight. The length of light exposure not only affects flower bud differentiation but also affects the growth and development of the flowers. Therefore, it is recommended to place them in a spot with ample light for cultivation.

Precautions for growing lilies:

Applying fertilizer: Lilies do not have very high fertilizer requirements. Usually, applying fertilizer as appropriate when spring growth begins and at the early flowering stage is enough. During the flowering period, phosphorus fertilizer can be applied 1-2 additional times.

II. Key points of propagation: Lily propagation includes asexual propagation and sexual propagation.

1. Asexual propagation: In production, there are mainly 3 types: scale propagation, bulbil propagation, and bulbils-on-stem propagation.

2. Sexual propagation: Collect mature seeds in autumn. Sow them in a seedbed, and small bulbs can be produced in the autumn of the second year. This method takes a long time and the varietal characteristics are prone to change, so it is rarely used in production.

Watering essentials: Watering is generally done in the morning on sunny days. Watering only needs to keep the potting soil moist, but during the peak growing season and in dry weather, it must be watered appropriately more frequently, and water should often be sprinkled around the flower pot to increase air humidity.

Pruning essentials:

(1) Lilies need flower buds removed and diseased plants eliminated. Due to high fertilizer and water management levels and some bulbs being rather large, flower buds easily appear during growth.

(2) After buds appear, they should be removed in time to prevent nutrient consumption and promote the growth and enlargement of the seed bulbs.

(3) In the later stage, the leaves below the ears of the corn on the ridge should be removed.

(4) After flowering, spent flowers should be cut off in time to reduce nutrient consumption.

III. Management after planting

1. Temperature: To obtain high-quality lily cut flowers, temperature control in the greenhouse is very important. Within 3-4 weeks after planting, the soil temperature must be kept at a low temperature of 9-13°C to promote rooting. Too low a temperature will unnecessarily prolong the growing period, while a temperature above 15°C will lead to poor development of stem roots. These stem roots will soon replace basal roots in providing 90% of the plant's water and nutrients, so to obtain high-quality lilies, the development of stem roots is crucial. After the rooting period, the environmental temperature for Oriental lilies should be controlled at 15-25°C, and the environmental temperature for Asiatic lilies and Easter lilies should be controlled at 14-23°C. If the daytime temperature is too high, ventilation and shading should be used to lower the temperature; if the nighttime temperature reaches 15-25°C, lily cut flower stems will be short, flower buds few, and quality reduced. At this time, the method of spraying or watering plants with a gibberellin solution is used (domestically available) to increase stem length. The specific amount varies with different growth stages and different environmental temperatures. Generally, less can be used at the early growth stage and more at the later stage. Domestic solar greenhouses generally prolong the growing period of lilies in winter and seriously affect cut flower quality, so means of temperature regulation should be added.

2. Humidity: The soil humidity before planting is best when it forms a ball when squeezed tightly and breaks apart when dropped. In hotter seasons, if conditions permit, water once with cold water before planting to lower the soil temperature. After planting, water once more so that the soil and bulbs are fully in contact, creating good conditions for the development of stem roots. Subsequent watering should be based on keeping the soil moist, that is, a handful of soil forms a ball when squeezed but no water comes out. Watering is generally done in the morning on sunny days. The relative humidity should preferably be 80%-85%, and large fluctuations in relative humidity should be avoided, otherwise leaf scorch may occur.

3. Fertilizer: In the early stage of growth, flowering lily bulbs mainly consume nutrients stored in their own scales, so too much base fertilizer is not needed before planting. One month after planting, some fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing according to the soil fertility. Lilies have a very large demand for potassium, and a compound fertilizer can be prepared at a ratio of N-P2O5-K2O=14:7:21. Apply 10 kg per mu each time, once every 10-15 days, until 3 weeks before flower harvest. At the same time, attention should also be paid to supplementing trace elements such as iron, boron, and zinc.

4. Light: Light is an important condition for controlling quality, and lily flower bud development especially requires ample light. Insufficient light will cause poor plant growth and cause lily bud drop, lighter leaf and flower colors, and shortened vase life. When growing lilies in winter in northern China, due to the influence of insulation materials such as glass or plastic film, about 25-30% of sunlight is blocked, so in addition to keeping the surface of glass and plastic film clean to make light transmission good, some varieties also need supplemental lighting, which can be done with incandescent lamps. In good modern greenhouses, horticultural high-pressure sodium lamps should be used. When producing lilies in summer, strong direct sunlight must also be avoided, generally using shade nets for shading. Asiatic and Easter lilies are shaded 40%, and Oriental lilies are shaded 50%.

5. Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is beneficial to the growth and flowering of lilies. On sunny days from 8-10 in the morning, in an unventilated greenhouse, apply carbon dioxide gas pellets to increase the carbon dioxide content in the greenhouse. Other methods can also be used, for example: hang a plastic bucket every 15-20 m (the height from the bucket to the ground is 1 m), fill the bucket with a 20% sodium bicarbonate solution (the baking soda commonly used at home is sodium bicarbonate), then gradually pour the prepared 10% dilute sulfuric acid solution into each plastic bucket in 3-4 portions. Sodium bicarbonate reacts with sulfuric acid to produce carbon dioxide gas. A solar greenhouse 60 m long and 7 m wide requires 1.7 kg of pure sodium bicarbonate and 1 kg of concentrated sulfuric acid (concentration 98%).

IV. 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 flower buds will not open. Harvesting too late will make post-harvest handling and packaging difficult, the petals will be soiled by pollen, and already opened flowers will release ethylene, greatly shortening the fresh-keeping period of the flowers.

2. Handling: After harvesting, remove the lower 10 cm of leaves, then grade and bundle. A grade interval of 10 cm is appropriate. For lilies bundled in one bunch, the longest stem and the shortest stem should preferably differ by no more than 5 cm, and the tops of the flowers should be aligned.

3. Storage: After bundling, lilies should immediately be placed in clean, pre-cooled water, then placed in a cold storage room. The temperature of the water and the cold storage room should preferably be 2-3°C.