What to do when cyclamen gets bugs? Common pest and disease control can use dichlorvos spraying
Cyclamen, an indoor flower with excellent ornamental value, has bright colors and an auspicious meaning, making it the top choice for many flower lovers to grow. However, for beginners, carelessness when growing cyclamen often leads to pest problems, so what should you do when cyclamen gets bugs? First of all, don't worry, but instead figure out which kind of pest it is
Cyclamen, an indoor flower with excellent ornamental value, has bright colors and an auspicious meaning, making it the top choice for many flower lovers to grow. However, for beginners, carelessness when growing cyclamen often leads to pest problems, so what should you do when cyclamen gets bugs? First of all, don't worry, but instead figure out which kind of pest it is, and then deal with it accordingly. Below is a selection of common pest and disease control methods for cyclamen that I have compiled; if you love flowers, you must take a look~
1. What to do when cyclamen gets bugs: find the cause
Growing plants indoors is not like growing them outdoors; all conditions need to be created. In the methods for growing cyclamen, we introduced that when potted indoors, cyclamen has requirements for soil, light, water and so on, and once handled improperly, the leaves will get bugs or become diseased. As for what to do when cyclamen gets bugs, take a look at the symptoms and solutions for the following pests and you will know what to do.
(1) Symptoms of cyclamen pest damage and solutions
① Mites
Mites are one of the main pests and diseases of cyclamen, and this type of pest mainly sucks sap at young leaves and tender buds. The symptoms of damage are: cyclamen leaves curl inward along the leaf margins, the leaf surface turns brown and also has an oily sheen, the leaves become wrinkled and deformed, flower buds turn black and rot, petals do not extend, and flowering is abnormal.
Solution: Apply dicofol, pyridaben, propargite emulsifiable concentrate, etc. When spraying, be sure to spray the solution onto the young leaves, tender buds and flower buds at the center of the corm, so that it can harm the pests. Mites have strong pesticide resistance, so several pesticides should be applied in rotation.
② Slugs
Slugs are also one of the common pests and diseases of cyclamen, and they mainly damage the top parts of young leaves and young buds. When damaged by this pest, cyclamen leaves will have notches or holes, and the young leaves will be incomplete.
Solution: Simply catch them by hand. In addition, to prevent this pest from appearing again, reduce the air humidity at the greenhouse floor, clean up the greenhouse environment in time, and minimize the slug's living environment as much as possible.
③ Aphids
Aphids are one of the main pests that damage flowers, and this naturally includes cyclamen. They mainly damage the undersides of cyclamen leaves, sucking the sap of young leaves and young buds. When damaged, the leaves will wrinkle, turn yellow and withered, and even fall off.
Solution: Buy a sticky insect board from the market and use it to trap and kill them; in addition, you can apply dichlorvos, omethoate, menazon, fenbutatin oxide and so on for spraying. When spraying, be sure to spray the solution onto the undersides of the leaves. Aphids have strong pesticide resistance, so several pesticides should be applied in rotation.
④ Cabbage caterpillars
Cabbage caterpillars parasitize cyclamen's young buds, young leaves, new and old leaves, flower buds, petals and other places, and they like to feed on the undersides of leaves. The symptoms of this pest's appearance are leaves bitten into holes and notches along the leaf edges.
Solution: When this pest is found, spray with pesticides such as deltamethrin, trichlorfon and dichlorvos; during the larval damage period, the biological pesticide B1 suspension concentrate can also be used for spray control on the undersides of leaves; in addition, the environment around the cyclamen should also be properly cleaned up so that it can grow healthily.
⑤ Cyclamen flies
This pest mainly damages the internal tissues of cyclamen's roots, stems and corm, causing the damaged parts to shrink and become sunken, and then causing the leaves to wilt and turn yellow and withered; in severe cases, it can cause the plant to die.
Solution: If they are larvae, trichlorfon, dichlorvos, omethoate, phoxim and so on can be applied as a root drench to kill them; if they are adults, trichlorfon, dichlorvos and so on can be applied for spraying.
(2) Symptoms of cyclamen diseases and solutions
Besides being damaged by insects, diseases also constantly endanger the health of cyclamen. It is understood that cyclamen mainly has four diseases: damping-off, leaf rot, wilt and anthracnose, among which leaf spot disease is very serious, and we should remedy it in time. The specific symptoms and solutions are as follows:
① Damping-off
This disease mainly harms seedlings and generally appears from the stage after emergence to transplanting. When affected by this disease, cyclamen's stem base will produce brown lesions that expand around the stem and finally dry up and die. Damping-off is caused by infection with Rhizoctonia solani and is prone to occur under conditions of low temperature and high humidity.
Solution: In the early stage of the disease, 50% damping-off powder 1000 times solution can be used for spraying or root drenching; this disease is very troublesome, so we should focus on prevention. After cyclamen is sown and germinates and enters the greenhouse, pesticide must be sprayed within 3 days to prevent damping-off, and preventive spraying should be carried out regularly throughout the seedling stage.
② Leaf rot
Leaf rot is one of the common pests and diseases of cyclamen, and it mainly harms various parts of cyclamen such as leaves, petioles, buds and tubers.
Symptoms on petioles: black-brown water-soaked lesions are produced, and the leaves lose vitality and turn yellow. The vascular bundles of the diseased petioles turn brown and spread to the tuber, causing the young buds to turn black and forming bud blight.
Symptoms on tubers: the vascular bundles near the bud points turn brown, then become black-brown and rot; the rot spreads from the vascular bundles to the entire corm, eventually causing death, and the aboveground parts wilt.
Solution: In the early stage of the disease, copper preparations such as 70% copper hydroxide 1000 times solution or 1 million units oxytetracycline 1000 times solution can be used for spraying or root drenching to prevent the disease.
③ Wilt
After cyclamen contracts this disease, the initial symptoms are that some leaves near the ground lose vitality and turn slightly yellow, then the yellowed leaves increase and gradually spread upward; except for a few leaves at the top that remain intact, the rest all wither and die, and when the tuber is cut open, the vascular bundles are brown.
Solution: In the early stage of the disease, 50% carbendazim 800 times solution or 50% damping-off powder 1000 times solution can be used for spraying. Or 50% root rot powder 1000 times solution or 70% mancozeb 500 times solution can be used for root drenching. For root drenching, use 200 ml per plant, once every 7 to 10 days, for 3 to 4 consecutive times. Generally, root drenching gives better control results than spraying.
④ Anthracnose
Anthracnose is one of the common pests and diseases of cyclamen, and it occurs all year round. Symptoms: cyclamen leaves produce round lesions, the center of the lesions is light brown or white, and many small black spots grow on them; those are conidia, and when the damage is severe, it can cause the leaves to wither and die.
Solution: In the early stage of the disease, 80% anthracnose thiram 800 times solution or 70% mancozeb 500 times solution can be used for control; in addition, diseased leaves should be pruned and burned in time.
⑤ Gray mold
Gray mold often occurs in winter. Once there is continuous rainy, humid weather without sunlight, gray mold will get out of control. When affected by this disease, brown spots appear on cyclamen's leaves, branches and inflorescences, and as the disease worsens, it spreads throughout the whole plant.
Solution: Strengthen maintenance management in winter, raise the indoor temperature, increase light transmittance and reduce humidity. Once a diseased plant is found, immediately move the plant to a ventilated place and put it in the sun, which can achieve effective control results. In addition, when the disease is severe, Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed for treatment.
That is all I have to introduce about pest and disease control for cyclamen. Such a small plant actually has quite a lot of pests and diseases, which is truly hard to believe. So in order to avoid the effects of pests and diseases, flower lovers must pay attention to maintenance when growing cyclamen, otherwise it will be troublesome once it gets sick. Of course, even if it does get sick, following the methods above can also solve the problem.
How to grow lilies: teaching you the cultivation methods and precautions for potted lilies
Like countless living things, for lilies to grow vigorously and finally bloom beautiful flowers, the most fundamental conditions are: the bulbs themselves must be of good quality, the environment must be suitable, management must keep up, and from the start of planned planting until the final flowers wither, you must always care for them and manage them carefully; only then can you be sure the lilies will be as you wish, pleasing to the eye. As for whether they can make money, that still depends on whether the market cooperates, but flower lovers grow them for their own enjoyment, so that is not within the scope of this article.1. Successfully ordering high-quality bulbs is the foundation of successful planting. However, because bulbs are not industrial products but agricultural products, and are also imported products facing various national quality inspection requirements, there will always be various problems. No matter which company it is, domestic or foreign, if they pat their chest and guarantee that your order (supply, supply quality) has no problems at all, then they must be a fraud. That being the case, you can only choose reliable suppliers to reduce the probability of problems with the bulbs.High-quality lily bulbs: firm, clean, with a good root system
A common problem with lily bulbs is Penicillium infection (as shown in the picture below). If the infection has not endangered the basal plate of the bulb, the problem is not serious.Freeze damage -- the bulb's sprout turns black (as shown in the picture below); in severe cases, it can only be discarded2. Environment: The slogan everyone commonly sees is "even small grass has life." I remember a Dutch expert also said, "The water you can drink, it can drink too; the environment you can stay in, it can stay in too." "Even small grass has life" tells the true essence. You must treat it like your own baby, touch it, perceive it, and then change its environment at any time; only then can it repay you with beautiful flowers.
1) Soil:
Soil structure: Although lilies can grow in all kinds of soil, it is very important to ensure that the cultivation soil has a good structure and maintains good drainage throughout the entire growth stage. Poor soil structure and compaction often make lily roots grow weakly or even die due to lack of oxygen, or due to poor drainage, allow Pythium to run rampant and cause lily root death, ultimately leading to poor growth or even death of the lilies.
The picture below shows the situation where heavy rain from a typhoon flooded the soil, causing the roots to die from lack of oxygen; of course, overly compacted soil also makes the situation more serious.Soil pH and salinity: Maintaining an appropriate soil pH is very important for the development of lily roots and proper nutrient absorption. If the pH is too low, it will lead to excessive absorption of mineral nutrients (such as iron, manganese and aluminum), while if the pH is too high, it will lead to insufficient absorption of phosphorus, manganese and iron. Everyone knows that insufficiency is bad, but not everyone necessarily knows that going too far is just as bad as falling short.
Lilies are also sensitive to salinity. Too high salinity will form roots that are hard, brittle, and yellow or brown in color, reducing the roots' water absorption and affecting lily quality; in severe cases, it can even cause lily root death and lily plant death. Soil salinity is often affected by the fertilizers and water used.
The picture below was originally a very beautiful root system, but due to the use of unrotted organic fertilizer, part or all of the roots died, which is a great pity.Soil pathogens: Lilies often die because soil fungi damage the roots. Common fungi include Rhizoctonia, Pythium and Phytophthora. Rhizoctonia only damages when the buds are still in the soil, while Pythium can be reduced by improving soil drainage. Generally speaking, during the entire growth process, it is very necessary to use broad-spectrum fungicides several times, such as chlorothalonil.
The picture below shows the damage caused by Rhizoctonia and PhytophthoraFrom the above, it can be seen how crucial suitable cultivation soil is to successful cultivation. If the soil is bad, no matter how much effort you spend managing it, you can only face it with tears. Therefore, it is best to choose soil that has never been used to grow lilies before for planting lilies. Of course, the ideal choice is peat (domestic peat is fine). To reduce management difficulty, it is very wise to use 80% peat and add 20% perlite or pine bark medium. If base fertilizer is considered, controlled-release fertilizer with controllable release is the most ideal; if you are very fond of organic fertilizer, be sure to use fully rotted organic fertilizer.With such a good root system, why worry about not having beautiful lilies?
2) Temperature
Rooting stage temperature: For 2-3 weeks after planting, maintaining an appropriately low temperature (10-12°C) to ensure that lilies can grow good stem roots is very crucial. However, most of the time, we cannot guarantee such ideal weather. Therefore, professional growers use cold storage for rooting, while we can use the crisper compartment of a refrigerator. Wrapping lily bulbs in peat (peat not too wet; enough if water drips when squeezed by hand) (breathable) and placing them in the refrigerator's crisper compartment for rooting is a good idea. Although low temperatures will prolong the growth period, I think everyone should not mind managing them for a few more days.In the case of pre-rooting, in high-temperature seasons, root them first, then plant.
Growth stage temperature: Although the most ideal growth temperature for lilies is 15-25°C, we have no way to control nature's temperature; however, we should still avoid extreme situations. Below 5°C, lilies are very prone to freeze damage, and above 35°C, the growth period will be greatly shortened and quality will decline accordingly. In summer with strong sunlight, we can lower the temperature by shading and enhancing ventilation; how pleasant it would be to have cool breezes under the shade of trees in summer.
3) Relative humidity: The suitable relative humidity for lilies needs to be between 70-80%, but this refers to professional producers carrying out production in greenhouses. If you plant lilies in the yard or place them on the balcony, there is no need to consider this point. In greenhouses, poor growth is often caused by excessive humidity, but I have not seen outdoor lilies grow poorly even because of continuous rainy weather (the premise is good soil drainage and frequent fungicide application to control gray mold); of course, slight effects will still be encountered. This is because ventilation in greenhouses is very poor; when people go in, they feel very stuffy, and plants feel the same way.
Here are a few pictures of lily leaf damage caused by excessive greenhouse humidityBecause the humidity is too high, the water pressure inside the plant becomes too great, and ultimately the leaves are damaged due to rupture of cell walls; in severe cases, even the flower buds are gone. This is a physiological disease, not damage from pathogens, and applying fungicides is useless. Using calcium fertilizer can increase the resistance of cell walls and can reduce the damage.Long-term rainy weather makes plant leaves very tender, and because the plant needs to expel excess water from its body, the leaf stomata remain open for a long time. Being open for a long time ultimately causes the leaf stomata to lose their closing function (originally they would open and close automatically according to climate conditions). After the rainy weather, the leaf stomata still remain open and transpire water continuously, ultimately causing the leaves to lose water, become papery, and even scorch.
4) Shading: Shading can control temperature, relative humidity and light.
In summer, sunlight is usually very strong. For 2-3 weeks after planting (before budding), 80% of the light can be blocked. After budding, because Asiatic lilies and LA hybrid lilies are sensitive to light and lack of light can cause bud abortion, shading can be appropriately reduced, such as blocking 50% of the light; Oriental lilies are not sensitive to light and can still block 50-70% of the light.
The general steps for home potted lilies:
1. Preparation stage:
1) Growing medium: It is recommended that everyone choose peat soil as the main medium for planting.
2) Fertilizer: It is recommended to mix 3 kg of 14-14-14 controlled-release fertilizer and 0.5 kg of calcium nitrate per cubic meter of medium as base fertilizer.
3) Pots: A 13 cm pot can plant 3 bulbs of the 12-14 cm size; a 15 cm pot can plant 3 bulbs of 12-14 or 14-16 cm; in this way, choose pots according to your own situation. It is best if the pot height is above 12 cm;
2. Receiving lily bulbs: After long-distance logistics, when everyone receives the lily bulbs, they have thawed. Normally, there should be a few small sprouts. As long as the sprouts are no more than 5 cm long and are not broken, then even curved sprouts are no problem at all; please plant them with confidence.
After receiving the bulbs, they can be soaked for 30 minutes in 600-800 times chlorothalonil solution.
3. Planting:
1) First mix the medium and base fertilizer evenly, and water until water drips when squeezed by hand;
2) Lay 2-3 cm of the mixed medium at the bottom of the pot;
3) Place the bulbs with the sprout tips facing outward and plant them in the pot;
4) Cover the bulbs with about 8 cm of medium;
5) Water thoroughly, place in a shaded place, and avoid sunlight as much as possible.
4. It is recommended to plant 1, 3 or 5 bulbs per pot; odd numbers look better. If there are more than 5, then odd or even numbers do not matter.
At temperatures in June-July, sprouts generally emerge in 7 days.
1. Medium: peat soil2. Fertilizer: controlled-release fertilizer, calcium nitrate3. Pot: 160 dual-color pot, planting 3 bulbs4. Planting
1) Correct planting method: place the bulb's sprout tip toward the pot wallIncorrect planting method: place the bulb's sprout tip toward the middle; consequence: the sprouts all gather in the middle, which does not look goodOf course, if planted randomly, when the sprouts grow out, they will be very messy and disordered, and will not look good. As for potting, it is best to wait until the bulbs have a 3-5 cm sprout before planting, so that the direction of the sprouts can be controlled, making the overall appearance of the plant better.
What growth environment after planting?
For two weeks after planting, lily growth still needs relatively low temperatures to continue developing a good root system. Therefore, for potted lilies, after planting you can choose a place without direct sunlight; for open-field lilies, a shade net can be used to block direct sunlight. However, whether potted or open-field cultivation, once lilies see flower buds, they should immediately be given light. Potted plants can be moved to a place with sufficient light, and for open-field plants the shading material must be removed; otherwise, it will affect the number of lily flower buds and flowering quality, especially for Asiatic lilies, which are more sensitive to light; in severe cases, all flower buds will drop. Proper topdressing can make lily stems thicker and stronger, especially in hot summer. But note that the concentration should be lighter than usual application to avoid fertilizer damage. For topdressing, you can still choose high-potassium lily-specific fertilizer 15-15-30 diluted with water, at a concentration of 1000-1500 ppm, that is, add 1 gram of water-soluble fertilizer to 1-1.5 liters of water and mix evenly.
Each variety has different characteristics, and the flowering time also differs. But temperature also affects how early or late flowering occurs. For the conventional flowering time of specific varieties, please see each variety's product information. Here, I want to remind friends in the far north that in the later growth stage of lilies, if the nighttime temperature is below 10°C, please move the lilies indoors at night. Generally speaking, the time from rooting to flowering for Oriental lilies is about 100 days, while Asiatic lilies need only about 60 days. Therefore, when flower lovers choose varieties, please choose according to local climate conditions and your own maintenance conditions, to avoid the situation where, just at the moment of flowering, they are frozen and all your previous efforts are wasted; would that not be a pity?
Notes:
1. The previously mentioned "you can use the refrigerator's crisper compartment, wrap lily bulbs in peat (peat not too wet; enough if water drips when squeezed by hand) (breathable) and place them in the refrigerator's crisper compartment for rooting; this is a good idea" -- put them in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment to go through the 2-3 week rooting period. Then, when taken out from the 5°C temperature of the cold storage compartment, the outside temperature is at least 25°C. Can they adapt?
Answer: Yes. Professional lily cut flower producers take rooted lily bulbs out of cold storage when the temperature in the greenhouse is as high as 40°C. However, please pay attention to shading in the early stage, and reduce the degree of shading after budding. If heavy shading of 80% is maintained all the time, Asiatic lilies may abort their buds due to lack of light.
2. How to handle bulbs after the flowers fade
After the flowers fade, please cut off the spent flowers. Of course, the stems and leaves are retained. At the same time, please maintain normal care. Generally, when the low-temperature season (November-December) arrives, the aboveground stems will die, and the bulbs will be in the ground. At this stage, please reduce the use of water and fertilizer. After spring begins, as long as the bulbs have not rotted or been eaten by insects, they will grow and bloom again. For lilies planted in the yard, you do not need to bother with them; the next year they will grow out nicely, year after year, and more and more small lilies will come out.
3. Posting a few pictures of professionally grown potted lilies from abroad★How to pot lilies
Lilies belong to cool-climate flowers, meaning regions with a cool climate and large day-night temperature differences are most suitable for growing lilies.
Lilies do not have the layer of brown old skin outside the bulb like tulips do. Before they are planted in soil, they must be stored at a constant 2°C, otherwise they will quickly root and are also prone to rotting. Therefore, after buying lily bulbs from the market, we must plant them as soon as possible and must not leave them for long.
1. Prepare the bulbs
The top is the sprout, and the bottom is the roots; absolutely do not put them upside down! Some bulbs have not yet grown roots; look for the one with scales opening upward; that is the sprout!
Before planting, the bulbs should first be disinfected by soaking in imported carbendazim 1000 times solution for 20 minutes, rinsing with clean water, and drying before planting.2. Prepare soil and pots
Lilies like fertile sandy soil with both good water retention and good drainage. Peat: river sand: perlite = 2:2:1. You can also use soil for cactus-type plants, but in any case you cannot use clay.
Because lilies are bulb flowers with two layers of root systems, the container chosen should be a relatively deep pot.3. Planting
First put 10-15 cm of soil at the bottom of the pot, place the bulbs; if there are three bulbs in one pot, place the bulb heads toward the edge of the flower pot, that is, place them tilted toward the pot edge, so that after sprouting the plants are distributed evenly. Cover the tops of the bulbs with about 5 cm of soil, water thoroughly, and place in a cool place for 1-2 days.4. Care
Water: Keep the soil moist. From just having flower buds to the flowering period, spraying water twice a day, in the morning and evening, is enough. In addition, use imported carbendazim 1000 times solution to water twice a month.
Fertilizing: Generally fertilize once every half month.Common problems in lily cultivation
1. Leaf scorch
Cause of leaf scorch: caused by physiological calcium deficiency,
Conditions for occurrence: It is prone to occur under conditions such as excessive shading, poor ventilation, high air humidity, continuous cloudy days, too low soil pH, and poor plant root systems.
Preventive measures: Improve ventilation conditions and increase plant water transpiration.
Provide light appropriately earlier and harden the seedlings.
Use rooting treatment before planting, which benefits root development and the absorption of calcium ions.
Removing leaves (separating tightly clasped leaves) before the leaf scorch period is about to occur can also reduce the occurrence of leaf scorch.
Keep dry, avoid prolonged water accumulation on the plants.
Apply more calcium fertilizer such as calcium nitrate, which can be done through root fertilization or foliar fertilization.2. Root burn
Causes of root burn: excessively high salt concentration in the soil solution
A. The soil itself is severely salinized and the EC value is too high;
B. Improper fertilization, applying too much fertilizer at one time, causing excessively high soil solution concentration;
C. Insufficient water and overly dry soil can also cause the soil solution concentration to increase.
Preventive measures: Do not choose soil with excessively high salinity; do not place high-salt substrate or fertilizer directly on the bulbs; adopt the method of light but frequent fertilization to avoid applying a large amount of fertilizer at one time and causing root burn; check the root system frequently, and if root burn occurs, water promptly and combine with foliar fertilizer spraying.3. High temperature has a serious impact on lilies, so high temperatures should be avoided as much as possible, including high temperatures of the soil and environment; anything above 30°C is considered high temperature.4. Common yellowing of leaves5. Phytophthora blight
Preventive measures:
A. Focus on prevention, avoid continuously excessive soil moisture (especially avoid waterlogging) and excessively high air humidity, and try to avoid air humidity above 90%.
B. Disinfect the soil and bulbs before planting; you may choose Dexon, phosethyl-Al plus mancozeb, hymexazol, etc.
C. Avoid continuous cropping in Phytophthora-infested crop land with shared pathogen hosts, such as avoiding continuous cropping with baby's breath, carnation, Solanaceae, cucurbits and other vegetables. That is: soil that has previously grown baby's breath, carnation, Solanaceae, or cucurbits should as much as possible not be used again for lilies.
6. Root rot
Preventive measures:
Control soil moisture
Disinfect bulbs and soil with carbendazim, Dexon, hymexazol, etc.
Reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used, especially ammoniacal nitrogen, and appropriately increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.7. Fusarium stem rot
Preventive measures:
Disinfect bulbs and soil before planting; lower soil temperature8. Gray mold - avoid continuously high-humidity environments9. Blind flower (no flower)
Causes of blind flower:
A. Insufficient water and fertilizer supply: Lily is a flower variety that requires a relatively large supply of water and fertilizer. In the early stage, it mainly relies on the nutrients of the bulb to supply plant growth, and in the middle and late stages it mainly relies on fertilizer and water supply and photosynthesis to maintain plant growth. If the water and fertilizer supply is poor, it will seriously affect the growth and development of the lily, causing the lower part of the stem to be thick and the upper part thin, the plant to be weak and spindly, and in severe cases causing blind flowers and bud drop.
B. Too high temperature: Too high temperature will seriously affect lily quality: lilies prefer a cool climate; if the temperature is too high, growth is too fast, material accumulation in the plant is low, and organic matter consumption is high, causing malnutrition and in severe cases blind flowers and bud drop.
C. Insufficient light: Insufficient light, overly dense planting, and poor ventilation affect the plant's photosynthesis, resulting in low material accumulation and easily causing weak and spindly plants or even bud drop. OT-type lilies in particular are more sensitive to light, and insufficient light easily causes bud abortion.
D. Insufficient nutrients in the bulb: Bulbs that are too small in size, harvested too early, or stored too long will also have insufficient nutrients, easily causing blind flowers and bud drop in lilies.
E. Planting too deep: Planting too deep causes lilies to emerge slowly, consumes a large portion of the bulb's nutrients, leaves the plant with insufficient nutrients and poor growth, and in severe cases causes blind flowers.
F. Poor root growth of lilies: Poor roots in lilies lead to insufficient absorption capacity, causing insufficient plant nutrition; the nutrients supplied for flower bud growth are insufficient, flower bud growth is inhibited, and blind flowers and bud drop also occur.★Lily variety selection and planting methods
I. Basic introduction
Are lilies hard to grow?
Actually, that is not the case.
I am a bulb enthusiast, and the order I have reached after many years of cultivation is
Ease of cultivation: (common problems are in parentheses)
Rain lily > Amaryllis (expensive...) = Freesia (lodging) = Grape hyacinth (messy and disheveled) = Crocus (degeneration) > Lily (bud abortion and bulb rot) > Daffodil (bulb rot, degeneration, slow growth) > Hyacinth (blasted flower and bulb rot degeneration) > Tulip (bulb rot, bud abortion, one-time) > Ranunculus (one word: rot) > Anemone (rots nonstop from the very beginning)
There are too many Oxalis varieties to generalize; some are as easy to grow as weeds, while others are god-tier difficult.
Gloxinia and cyclamen are better grown as herbaceous plants and are not included in the ranking; bulbous irises are not widely popularized, so they are not included either.
It can be seen that lilies are not only suitable as cut flowers in flower shops; as household potted plants and perennial garden plants they are also very good.
In fact, most of the parents of hybrid lilies come from China; they are authentically Chinese flowers and are very well adapted to our climate (except Oriental lilies, which come from Japan).
II. Variety selection
Order of ease of cultivation
LA > Asiatic (A) > Longiflorum (L) = LO > OT > Oriental (O)
LA is an improvement on Asiatic lilies, producing bulblets faster, with large flowers.
LO can be considered an improvement on Longiflorum, with richer flower colors and stronger fragrance.
OT improves the heat tolerance, propagation rate and ease of cultivation of Oriental lilies.
Fragrance
Oriental = OT > Longiflorum = LO >> LA, Asiatic = 0
The last two, the Asiatic types, are basically unscented and suitable for flower lovers who dislike the fragrance of lilies.
Longiflorum has a light, sweet fragrance, stronger at night.
The first two are strongly fragrant; Oriental lilies have the fragrance of florist lilies, OT lilies are sometimes sweet and sometimes pungent, and LO is a mixed scent of Longiflorum and Oriental, with very weak fragrance on hot days.
1. Lily flowers are generally most fragrant 1-2 days after opening, then gradually become weaker; it is normal for them not to be very fragrant just after opening.
2. Lily floral fragrance is not harmful to the human body and will not trigger allergies; it is only that overly strong fragrance may stimulate the olfactory nerves of sensitive people, causing symptoms such as dizziness and excitement with difficulty sleeping.
3. Lily pollen easily stains clothing and skin. Do not rinse with water, as it will stick more firmly; instead, use clear tape to lift it off. Even so, cutting off the stamens is a good method.
Main hybrid classifications and their detailed advantages and disadvantages
1. Asiatic lily (Asiatic)
Advantages: Many flower colors, short plant height, many flower buds, flowers facing upward, early flowering (2-3 months from planting), easy to grow, fast propagation, extremely cold-tolerant (can overwinter outdoors in Northeast China)
Disadvantages: Flowers are on the small side (12-15 cm), no fragrance, relatively high light requirements during the bud stage, and insufficient light easily causes bud abortion.
Representative varieties: Many; most can be selected with confidence, and there are also potted types with a plant height of about 20-30 cm.
The potted effect of Asiatic lily 'Spring Field,' pot diameter 15 cm; the right side is the result of chlormequat treatment, and the far left is the original plant height.
Actual pot cultivation cannot reach the nominal plant height (110 cm); that is the height after two to three years of cultivation.
SpringfieldTinos2. Oriental lily (Oriental), commonly known together with OT as perfume lily, florist cut flower
Advantages: Strong fragrance, large flowers (15-20 cm), low light requirements, flat flower shape, broad leaves, bold and gorgeous blooms
Disadvantages: Some varieties are weak and prone to lodging, not very heat-tolerant, relatively slow to propagate, late flowering, and lower leaves yellow more severely.
Representative varieties: Sorbonne (the light pink flowers in flower shops), Siberia (the white flowers in flower shops)
Potted Oriental lily effect (famous variety Stargazer), very beautiful; note that the leaves are fewer but wider and thicker than those of Asiatic lilies.Sorbonne3. Longiflorum lily (Longiflorum), also called Easter lily
Advantages: Elegant and graceful flower shape, very easy to grow, moisture-tolerant, fast propagation, relatively poor cold tolerance, native to the subtropics, does not require low-temperature dormancy
Disadvantages: Only white (all pink and yellow series are LO hybrids; online shops have all labeled them incorrectly this year), pollen easily stains the petals.
Representative variety: Everyone has heard of the famous White Heaven, right?4. LO hybrids - recommended
Advantages: Inherits the flower shape and ease of cultivation of Longiflorum, and the flower color and fragrance of Oriental lily; very easy to grow and propagate, large flowers (18-25 cm), fast development, no need for low-temperature dormancy
Disadvantages: Under high temperatures the single flowering period is not long, flower buds are somewhat few, the color fades under insufficient light, and there are relatively few domestic varieties.
Representative variety: Triumphator is an outstanding representative, and it is especially recommended; it is one of the lilies that any beginner can keep alive (often sold out...)
Potted effect of Little Triumph; note that it is relatively tall and has large flowers.Under strong light and low temperature the flower color is very intense.5. OT hybrids - recommended
Advantages: Inherits the excellent genes of Trumpet lilies (parents include Lilium regale from Sichuan, etc.), richer flower colors than Oriental lilies, heat-tolerant and easy to grow, robust plants, no need for low-temperature dormancy. The stems are very thick, flowers are large (20-25 cm), fragrance is rich, suitable for courtyards and large containers; abroad they are commonly called Tree lily.
Disadvantages: In the first year there are often not many flowers, some varieties have flowers so large they are deformed, and flowers easily droop.
Representative varieties: Conca D'or, Yelloween, Nymph; color coverage is broad, especially the yellow series that Oriental lilies lack.
Note: Except for Yelloween, yellow varieties generally have fewer flower buds; even a 16-18 cm bulb has only two to three buds.
Perennial Conca D'or; note the height and number of flowers.Yelloween, large flowers, with a rich fruity sweet fragrance.6. LA hybrids - recommended
Advantages: Propagates even more crazily than Asiatic lilies, large flowers, some varieties lightly fragrant; this type likes to divide bulbs wildly, and is not as prone to bud abortion as Asiatic lilies.
Disadvantages: Like Asiatic lilies, the flower shape is relatively stiff, flowers are prone to deformity, and the number of flowers is often fewer than in Asiatic lilies.
Representative varieties: Red Alert, Diamond Party, etc.; basically any can be chosen, with no taboos.
Potted effect of Red Alert; compared with Asiatic lilies, the flowers are larger and the leaves broader; the Longiflorum flower shape was not inherited, and the fragrance is sometimes present and sometimes not.Red Alert7. Edible lilies
The most common is often the native Chinese species Lilium lancifolium; the plant is tall and slender, the petals are recurved, and it is easy to grow, but not suitable for indoors.
Its ornamental value may be inferior to Dutch hybrids, and it is one of the parents of Asiatic lilies.
A very distinctive recurved, drooping flower type.
Sometimes dishonest sellers use it to pass it off as a perfume lily.8. Double-flowered lilies
Divided into Asiatic and Oriental types; characteristics and care are the same as above; they are more like double amaryllis, while the distinctive features of lilies are not strong; they are prone to deformity and incomplete petalization.III. Indoor care
1. Light
Not very demanding; an enclosed balcony can also work, and east, west and south sides are all fine.
Direct light at least 3 hours, 4-6 hours better.
The blazing sun of a west-facing exposure may scorch Oriental lily leaves, so moderate protection should be given.
Note that when Asiatic lily buds are the size of peanut kernels, light must not be lacking, otherwise the buds will abort.
2. Soil quality, this is the most important; water permeability and air permeability are the first principles.
I use peat and perlite, but actually the materials are not limited, as long as they are loose, airy and light, to prevent bulb rot.
Peat (sedge peat, sterilized nutrient soil, compost soil, coconut coir): perlite (or various granular potting media) = 2:1 to 1:1
The soil near the bulbs can have more perlite added, which is safer.
Slow-release fertilizer/organic fertilizer can be evenly mixed into the soil mix; do not pile it all at the bottom of the bulb, as it will not be absorbed and can easily cause bulb rot.
3. Water
Except that Oriental lilies are best kept evenly moist, other varieties are very drought-tolerant (especially when planted in the ground), so better to err on the side of less than too much; it does no harm to wait until the pot soil becomes lighter or the surface soil dries out before watering.
For each watering, you can rely on weighing the pot; when it becomes lighter, water thoroughly again.
The signs of overwatering are bulb rot, a large number of lower leaves turning yellow and falling off, withered and scorched flower buds, and scorched yellow top leaves; if any one of these appears, be alert.
Underwatering rarely occurs, because bulbs and fleshy stems can store water, so if wilting occurs, first suspect bulb rot rather than lack of water.
4. Fertilizer and bulb maintenance
Lilies like fertilizer, but it should be applied lightly and frequently; heavy fertilizer will cause leaf scorch (scorched leaf tips, dead flower buds).
If growing as a one-time planting, there is no need to fertilize.
If you want it to rebloom year after year, then fertilizing after flowering is very important, mainly with nitrogen and potassium fertilizer.
The nutrient uptake ratio of lilies: nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium = 10:1:12, but phosphorus fertilizer is easily fixed and hard to absorb, so using fertilizer at a ratio of 1:1:1 or 1:1:1.5 is fine.
Remember to apply light fertilizer frequently, just add a little with each watering; there is no need for heavy fertilizer treatment, as its fertilizer demand is smaller than that of other bulbs.
Do not fertilize at sprouting; when growing rapidly, mainly use nitrogen fertilizer; when flower buds appear, mainly use phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; do not fertilize during the flowering period; start nourishing the bulb immediately after flowering, with the fertilizer ratio as described above.
5.pH
The soil for Oriental lilies is best when slightly acidic (5.5-6); peat itself is acidic enough.
Other varieties have no restrictions.
6. Temperature
Lilies are actually spring-planted bulbs: planted in spring, bloom in summer, nourished in autumn, stored in winter (for most parts of the country).
For the very hot and humid Guangdong and Guangxi regions, as well as Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, China, you can consider refrigerating in summer, planting in autumn, and viewing flowers in winter and spring.
When rooting in spring, keep the temperature at around 12 degrees, which is most favorable for stem root growth.
In summer, take care to protect against damage from high temperatures; low temperatures can extend the flowering period. OT lilies are very heat-tolerant, so they can bloom under the blazing sun, while Oriental lily flowers often wither rapidly when the sunlight is strongest.
7. Dormancy
When winter temperatures are low (0-10 degrees), it will go dormant (leaves fall and stems turn yellow; at this point cut off the withered stems).
General Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies need a cold period of at least 1.5-3 months (4-5 degrees) before they can begin the next year's growth.
Lilies with Easter lily (LO, LA, L) and trumpet (T) genes can be planted year-round; there is no need to deliberately create a cold period, only to keep winter temperatures below 20 degrees.
Natural low temperatures can be replaced by refrigerating at 4 degrees in a refrigerator.
Heat-intolerant varieties may go dormant just 1-2 months after flowering, but early dormancy is unfavorable for nourishing the bulb and reblooming; even more, do not cut off the stems and leaves as soon as flowering ends.
Leaves dropping and going dormant early often means bulb rot or severely unfavorable conditions.
8. How to Plant
No need to soak in disinfectant.
For basal roots (the old roots at the bottom of the bulb), try to retain them as much as possible; severely rotted parts can be cut off.
There should be at least 5 cm of soil above the top of the lily bulb; bulbs should be spaced at least 2-3 cm apart; the sprout tip should lean slightly toward the pot wall rather than the center of the pot.
9. Planting Depth
Lilies have two layers of roots. The ones below the bulb are basal roots (which can remain functional for several years) and have a weaker absorption function. The bulbs you receive often have basal roots that are rotten and broken, so there is no need to worry.
At the base of newly sprouted shoots, several layers of dense, pure white roots will form, called stem roots (annual roots). These are the main force for absorbing nutrients, so the top of the bulb must not be placed at the soil surface.
Moderately deep planting helps avoid heat damage and nourish the bulb.
So the formula is drainage layer + 3-5 cm bottom soil + bulb + 5-10 cm covering soil. Very simple, right~ The pot should be at least 15 cm tall.
Water thoroughly for settling the roots, then wait patiently; do not dig around. After the sprouts break through the soil, return to normal care.
As shown in the picture.Here is an updated planting method for beginners: "adding soil in stages - different from the old method of adding all the soil at once."
I forgot to mention it earlier.
That is, when planting lilies for the first time, you can let the soil cover only the lily bulb first, without adding soil on top, and reserve 8-10 cm of space above the soil surface for adding more soil later. Water thoroughly, wait for the sprout to emerge from the top of the bulb, then gradually add soil to the normal depth (5-10 cm from the top of the bulb to the soil surface).
The advantage is that it satisfies everyone's curious and eager mindset, avoids the struggle of being afraid the bulb will not sprout and wanting to dig it up but not daring to, and at the same time allows you to adjust the direction of the sprout when it grows, so that the sprout does not emerge crookedly from deep in the soil and look unattractive. The first watering is also easier to do thoroughly. (For reference only; this method will not interfere with stem root growth.)
10. After Flowering and Dormancy
After opening, they can be cut for vase display and generally wither in 5-7 days, or they can be enjoyed directly on the plant. The cut length should not exceed 1/3 of the plant height (at least 2/3 must remain; the more left, the better, otherwise what will you use to nourish the bulb?). The stamens can be removed to prevent staining the petals.
After flowering, remove the spent flowers to prevent seed formation.
Try not to force dormancy; following the lily's own rhythm is the best way to achieve good reblooming results and multiplication rate.
During dormancy, store in the original pot; almost no watering is needed, just give a little water each month to keep the peat slightly moist.
In hot summer regions, you can dig up the bulbs in spring and put them in the refrigerator, then plant in autumn.
For Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies, new shoots will emerge around February-March of the following year when temperatures rise.
Easter lilies may also sprout in autumn; let them grow and bloom naturally.
IV. Courtyard Cultivation
This is very simple.
Planting depth is 15 cm-20 cm in the north, and shallower as appropriate in the south.
Asiatic lilies can be planted throughout China.
Oriental lilies can be safely planted in the ground except in South China and Northeast China.
OT, LO, and LA can be planted in the ground south of Liaoning.
Pure Easter lilies can be planted in the ground south of the Yellow River.
In areas that are especially cold and without snow cover, you can cover with 5 cm of branches, straw, compost, etc. If there is snow, there is no need to fear they will be frostbitten.
Cold hardiness: A > LA >> LO = OT > O >> L
A late spring cold snap in spring may damage newly sprouted lilies, so some covering protection is needed.
Be sure to deep-dig; heavy clay soil should be ridged, and add more organic matter to facilitate drainage (the key among keys). In hot, dry summers, water occasionally.
V. Propagation Methods of Lilies
1. Bulb Division
When the main bulb grows to a certain size, the growth points naturally split into two to several connected bulbs (basically all of flowering size). This process begins after flowering and occurs every year. It is the simplest propagation method.
The propagation speed mentioned when introducing varieties refers to the speed of bulb division.
L=LA=A>LO=OT>>O
Oriental lilies may or may not divide each year, depending on cultivation and care. The first five types all divide very readily.
When the number of divided bulbs is too large and the sprouts are crowded, you can separate them by hand during winter dormancy. It is very simple and will not damage the bulbs.
Asiatic lilies may send up multiple sprouts in the first year; such bulbs often bloom poorly, but after one year of growing they become several plants.
The growth point splits in two, with the remains of that year's old stem in the middle.2. Stem Bulbils
These are actually small daughter bulbs produced on stem roots. Their quantity and quality are greatly related to the quality of the stem roots and how well they were cultivated that year. After 1-3 years they can reach flowering size.
They develop faster than bulbils, equivalent to starting from the second growth stage of bulbils (basal leaves --- stem --- flower).
Asiatic lilies, Easter lilies, LA, and LO are likewise outstanding at this type of propagation.
Especially LA; the stem bulbils in the first year are very likely to reach flowering bulb size.
The picture shows small bulbs around the stem roots.3. Bulbils
After Asiatic lilies and tiger lilies flower, especially after bud abortion, small bulbs are produced at the base of the leaves on the plant, called bulbils. When mature, they often root and fall off.
They develop in the soil. In the first year they only produce one grass-like leaf, then go dormant in winter. In the second year they produce daughter bulbs and clustered leaves.
Then they go dormant again, and in the third year send up a stem and bloom. Although slow, the quantity is large.
When mature they are purple-black.4. Scales
Very similar to the scale-cutting propagation of amaryllis. Remove healthy scales (or scales that accidentally fell off), insert them obliquely in sterilized moist peat or vermiculite, and refrigerate. After one month, small bulbs will grow and can be planted separately. The multiplication rate is high but it is slow.
The development process is the same as for bulbils.5. Seeds - Not Recommended
Not recommended unless you are an enthusiast. Aside from native species such as Easter lilies and Lilium regale that can be tried, most hybrids either have empty seed coats, grow slowly, or their selfed offspring will vary.
6. Cuttings - Not Recommended
Only applies to Taiwan lily (Lilium formosanum) hybrids, which can root.
If the stems of LO and LA cut flowers are kept moist, they can grow small bulbils that can be separated and planted, but the stems themselves are difficult to root.
It is basically useless for Oriental lilies and others, so cut flowers from flower shops cannot be planted.
Lilies are monopodial monocotyledonous plants. Once the apical bud is damaged, that year's reproductive growth (flowering) stops. Therefore, absolutely do not try tipping or cuttings.
VI. Common Problems
Basically, the problems of gardening enthusiasts are concentrated in the first two items.
1. Bulb Rot - Control watering well; better dry than wet.
Caused by fungi; waterlogging is the main trigger. By the time it is discovered, it is often too late. If the basal plate is intact, peel off the rotten scales and store after disinfection.
Symptoms vary: yellowing leaf edges, lower leaves falling off, plant wilting that does not improve with watering, blackening buds of OT, LO, LA, etc., obvious stagnation of growth, and so on. All are very likely to be bulb rot.
2. Bud Abortion
Common in Asiatic lilies; the cause is insufficient light (continuous rain, placed indoors). The phenomenon is that small buds turn from green to brown, then dry up and scorch. They will not bloom that year; continue to nourish the bulb well. For lilies without Asiatic lily blood, the main cause of bud abortion is bulb rot.
3. Leaf Scorch
Heavy fertilizer or unrotted fertilizer may damage the roots, causing severe scorching of leaf tips and withering of buds. At this point, flush the potting soil with plenty of water, and if necessary repot and change the soil. Oriental lilies are relatively prone to leaf scorch. Note that chloride ions and fluoride ions in water and fertilizer should be low (phosphorus fertilizers such as superphosphate contain more of them, so use with caution).
4. Breakage
Handle the same as bud abortion; continue to nourish the bulb. Lilies will not produce side branches. A broken apical bud means they will not bloom that year.
5. Lower Leaves Yellowing and Falling Off
A common problem in lilies, especially severe in Oriental lilies and some Asiatic lilies. This phenomenon is not obvious in LA, LO, and OT. If not serious, it basically does not affect ornamental value and can serve as a reflection of the plant's health.
5. Pests
Not common. Occasionally scale insects, Japanese beetles, aphids, and others may attack. Snails may gnaw on buds; pay attention to protection when planting in the ground.
6. Gray Mold
Common in greenhouses with especially high humidity, and during hot, rainy periods. Mold-like lesions appear on the leaves; spray with fungicide to eliminate them.
7. Off-season Sprouting
For especially vigorous varieties such as Easter lilies, new shoots may appear in winter near dormancy; let them grow.
8. Failure to Sprout
This is the situation beginners fear most. Fortunately, unless it is due to bulb rot or sprout rot, this situation is rare. It is often because the bulb has not experienced enough cold to break dormancy.
In this case, you can place it in the refrigerator for treatment, and plant it once there are signs of sprouting.
9. Deformed Sprouts, Double Flowers
Often appear in cold-treated autumn bulbs and are related to too long a cold treatment period. Generally they do not affect planting.
VII. Selection, Purchase, and Storage
Each year suppliers have spring groups and autumn groups.
Spring is a good season to buy lilies. Now various places are taking pre-orders, with shipping periods from February to April.
The bulbs you buy are often fresh bulbs with very short sprouts or no sprouts.
In autumn, cold-treated bulbs are provided (to break dormancy for autumn flowering) and pre-rooted bulbs (providing suitable temperatures in summer for stem root growth). The shipping period is August-September, with fewer varieties. Recommended for indoor planting in the north and for the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. When planted outdoors in the north, they often dry up in the north wind before they even bloom.
When these bulbs arrive, the sprouts are already very long and break easily, so never handle them roughly.
Lily bulbs do not store well because they have no protective outer skin; once dehydrated, they die.
During winter dormancy, they can be left in the original pot without taking them out; water once a month to keep the potting soil slightly moist.
Those who must take them out of the pot can put moist peat in a plastic bag, remove the stems from the dug-up bulbs, bury them in it, and store them in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment (not the freezer!) until they break dormancy and sprout, then take them out and plant.
VIII. Other
Pots:
The bigger and deeper the pot, the better, as long as drainage is smooth.
For home use
For 14-16 cm bulbs, an 18 cm pot can hold three.
For 16-18 cm bulbs, a 20 cm pot can hold three.
You can also plant a single bulb in a 15cm-18cm pot.
This is the minimum for pot size; you may increase the pot diameter as appropriate, but do not use a shallow pot, for the reasons already explained above.
Bulb size:
14-16cm bulbs are mainly L, A, LA, and LO varieties.
For Oriental and OT lilies, you generally need to buy 16-18cm bulbs to guarantee the flower count.
Bulb circumference is strongly related to the number of flowers; generally 12-14cm starts producing flowers, 18-20cm is exhibition grade, and Trumpet and OT types can be grown to a circumference of 25cm.
Plant height:
When first growing lilies, seeing figures like 90, 100, 110, 120 or even 130cm can seem frightening.
But that is the mature plant height achievable only after about two years of growing in the ground.
Pot-grown plants fall far short of those figures, and modern hybrids have very thick, sturdy stems, so even with large flowers and many blooms they will not lodge or break.
(In the first year of pot cultivation, the height is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the standard height.)
In theory, strong light and moderately high temperatures make plants shorter and flower earlier, while weak light and low temperatures cause stems to elongate and flowering to be delayed.
Asiatic lilies take 70-90 days from planting to flowering, Oriental lilies 90-120 days, and the remaining varieties follow in the order starting with early A.
Please learn to grow lilies in a relaxed, low-effort way.
There are now many lily-growing posts on forums, but fellow growers still treat them as far too delicate, fussing over every detail: how to mix the soil, how to disinfect, how to plant, how to water, whether to shade them or put them in the sun. Studying carefully is of course good, but I think growing flowers should be a kind of leisure, about a calm and unhurried state of mind, rather than being filled with anxiety and worry. What meaning is there in growing flowers that way?
When you care for them too meticulously, it is especially easy to become overzealous, wanting to dig them up and look every day, water a little every day, move them here and there, and the result is often too much water, rotted roots, and no flowers.
In fact, under natural conditions there is often a lack of water and fertilizer, pests and diseases run rampant, heavy rain pours down, and fierce winds blow, yet lilies still bloom and set seed year after year, growing and multiplying. Ignore them, and they will bloom beautifully.
★How to grow potted lilies
Growing habits: They like moisture and light, and require fertile, humus-rich, deep sandy soil with extremely good drainage. Most varieties are suited to slightly acidic to neutral soil. Specifically, there are the following points:
Lilies like cool, humid environments; places with plenty of sunlight and slightly shaded environments suit lilies better. They dislike drought and intense heat, and their cold tolerance is somewhat weaker.
The temperature for growth and flowering is 16-24°C; below 5°C or above 30°C growth almost stops, and plants only grow normally above 10°C; above 25°C growth stagnates again. If the winter nighttime temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be seriously affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers.
They like fertile, deep soil rich in humus, and especially dislike hard clay; well-drained slightly acidic soil is best, with a soil pH of 5.5-6.5.
How to grow potted lilies? Potted lily cultivation methods:
1. Cultivation time: Potted lilies are best planted in September to October.
2. Soil: The growing medium should be a mix of leaf mold, sand, and garden soil in a 1:1:1 ratio, with plenty of fully decomposed compost and a small amount of bone meal placed at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. The planting depth is generally about 2-3 times the diameter of the bulb.
The potting soil should not be too wet, otherwise the bulb rots easily. Potted lilies should be repotted once a year, with fresh growing medium and base fertilizer.
3. Fertilizing: Lilies do not have very high fertilizer requirements; usually applying fertilizer when growth begins in spring and at the start of flowering is enough. Some growers abroad believe lilies need relatively more nitrogen and potassium fertilizer, and during the growing period it should be applied once every 10-15 days, while phosphorus fertilizer should be limited, because too much phosphorus causes yellowing leaves.
During the flowering period, phosphorus fertilizer can be applied 1-2 times. To make the bulb plump, spent flowers should be cut off promptly after blooming to reduce nutrient consumption. 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 often, and water should often be sprinkled around the pot to raise air humidity.
4. Temperature: The suitable growing temperature for lilies is 12-18°C. In winter, even if the temperature drops to 3-5°C, they will not die of cold.
5. Light: Lilies are cold-resistant, light-loving, fertilizer-tolerant, and afraid of dampness. Lack of sunlight and long-term shading will affect normal flowering. However, they adapt widely to different regions, and can be grown in the ground or in pots in both north and south.
Because lilies are bulbous plants, they can also be planted directly from bulbs, requiring deep planting to six or seven centimeters so that lateral roots can grow deep and absorb as many nutrients as possible. The growing medium should preferably be sandy loam, and clay and lime soil should not be used. If pond mud is used for planting, some river sand and crushed charcoal should also be mixed in appropriately, so that the medium is loose and airy and the plants can flower on time.
In addition, during the growing period of lilies the pot should be rotated once a week. Otherwise the plant tends to grow lopsided, which affects its appearance.
★How to grow lilies
Lilies are undoubtedly a flower that many fellow growers love very much. Many want to grow them at home to beautify their rooms, but do not know how to grow them. Here is a brief introduction:
Lilies like cool, humid environments; places with plenty of sunlight and slightly shaded environments suit lilies better. They dislike drought and intense heat, and their cold tolerance is somewhat weaker. The temperature for growth and flowering is 16-24°C. If the winter nighttime temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be seriously affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers. Lilies like fertile, deep soil rich in humus, and especially dislike hard clay; well-drained slightly acidic soil is best. Lily propagation includes bulb division, scale cutting, seed propagation, and tissue culture.
I. Growing habits of lilies
Lilies are bulbous flowers of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae. They like environments with plenty of sunlight and are long-day plants; day length not only affects flower bud differentiation but also affects flower growth and development. Lilies do not like high temperatures and prefer a cool, humid climate. The optimum growing temperature for Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies is 20-25°C during the day, for Easter lilies 25-28°C, with nighttime temperatures above 14°C. Temperatures above 30°C seriously affect the growth and development of lilies, causing bud abortion and a marked drop in the flowering rate, while below 10°C growth nearly stops.
II. Soil requirements for lilies
Lilies require soil that is rich in humus, deep and loose, and able to retain appropriate moisture while draining well; sandy loam is best, and clay absolutely must not be used for growing lilies.
Lilies like slightly acidic soil. The suitable soil pH for Asiatic and Easter lilies is 6-7, and for Oriental lilies 5.5-6.5. Lilies are generally not salt-tolerant, and the fluorine and chlorine content in the soil is required to be below 50mg/L, with total soil salinity not exceeding 1.5ms/cm.
III. Preparatory work before planting
1. Soil disinfection: Before planting lilies, the soil must be disinfected. The commonly used disinfection methods are steam disinfection and chemical disinfection. Steam disinfection is rarely used now because it consumes a lot of energy and is troublesome to operate. Chemical disinfection uses
40% formalin diluted to a 1:50 or 1:100 solution and sprinkled over the soil at 2.5 kg per square meter; after sprinkling, cover with plastic film for 5-7 days, then uncover and let it air for 10-15 days before planting, or use 8-10g/m2 of carbendazim powder mixed into the soil for disinfection.
2. Thawing and disinfection of bulbs: After the bulbs arrive, open the packaging immediately and place them in a 10-15°C environment to thaw, and disinfect them after they have completely thawed. Disinfection method: Soak the bulbs for 30 minutes in a 1:1000 aqueous solution of captan, chlorothalonil, carbendazim, potassium permanganate, etc., or soak the bulbs for 30 minutes in an 80-fold dilution of 40% formalin solution, then take them out, rinse off the residual solution on the bulbs with clean water, and dry them in a cool place before planting. At some domestic growing bases, the original basal roots are trimmed off before planting, which helps promote new basal roots.
3. Storage of bulbs: If thawed bulbs cannot all be planted immediately, they must not be frozen again, otherwise there is a risk of freeze damage. They can be stored at 0-2°C, but for no more than two weeks; they can also be stored at 2-5°C for up to one week, and the plastic film packaging must be opened.
IV. Planting depth and density
For spring and summer planting, the planting depth requires the top of the bulb to be 8-10cm below the soil surface, and in winter 6-8cm. Planting density varies with variety, bulb size, and seasonal factors. In spring and summer, they can be planted more densely; in winter, when sunlight is weaker, they should be planted more sparsely.
The planting densities for different groups and sizes of lily bulbs (expressed as the number of bulbs per square meter) are listed below for reference:V. 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 9-13°C to promote rooting. Too low a temperature will unnecessarily prolong the growing period, while temperatures above 15°C will cause poor development of stem roots. These stem roots quickly replace the basal roots in supplying 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 ambient temperature for Oriental lilies should be controlled at 15-25°C, and for Asiatic and Easter lilies at 14-23°C. If daytime temperatures are too high, ventilation and shading should be used to lower the temperature; if nighttime temperatures reach 15-25°C, lily cut flower stems will be short and buds few, lowering quality. At this time (in China) a gibberellin solution is sprayed on the plants to increase stem length; the specific amount varies with different growth stages and different ambient temperatures, generally less in the early growth stage and more later. Winter temperatures in domestic solar greenhouses generally prolong the growing period of lilies and seriously affect cut flower quality, so means of temperature regulation should be added.
2. Humidity: The soil moisture before planting should be such that it forms a ball when squeezed and crumbles 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 in full contact, creating good conditions for the development of stem roots. After that, watering should be based on keeping the soil moist, that is, a handful of soil should form a ball in the hand but not release water. Watering is generally done in the morning on a sunny day. 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 the 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 soil fertility. Lilies have a very high demand for potassium, and a compound fertilizer can be prepared in the ratio 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 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 sufficient light. Insufficient light causes poor plant growth and lily bud drop, paler leaf and flower colors, and shorter vase life. When growing lilies in winter in northern China, due to the influence of glass or plastic film and other insulating materials, about 25-30% of sunlight is blocked, so in addition to keeping the surface of the glass and plastic film clean to ensure good light transmission, some varieties also need supplemental lighting, which can be provided 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; Asiatic and Easter lilies are shaded 40%, and Oriental lilies 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 meters (with the bucket 1 meter above the ground), 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 batches; the sodium bicarbonate reacts with the sulfuric acid to produce carbon dioxide gas. A solar greenhouse 60 meters long and 7 meters wide requires 1.7 kg of pure sodium bicarbonate and 1 kg of concentrated sulfuric acid (98% concentration).
VI. Harvesting and storage of lily cut flowers
1. Harvesting: Harvest after at least 2-3 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 makes post-harvest handling and packaging difficult, the petals get dirty with pollen, and flowers that have already opened release ethylene, greatly shortening the vase life.
2. Handling: After harvesting, remove the lower 10 centimeters of leaves, then grade and bundle. A grading interval of 10 centimeters is appropriate. In a bundle of lilies, the longest and shortest stems should preferably differ by no more than 5 centimeters, with the flower tops aligned.
3. Storage: Bundled lilies should be placed immediately in clean, pre-chilled water and then put into a cold storage room; the temperature of the water and the cold room should preferably be 2-3°C.
VII. Common pests and diseases of lilies and their control methods
1. Lily fungal diseases
(1) Blue mold
Symptoms: During storage, white spots grow on the rotten spots on the scales, and then fluffy greenish-blue patches develop. After infection, decay will gradually increase even at a low temperature of -2°C. The pathogen will eventually invade the basal plate of the bulb, making the bulb worthless or causing stunted plant growth. Although infected bulbs look unhealthy, as long as the basal plate of the bulb is intact, plant growth during the planting period will not be affected. After planting, the infection will not spread to the stem, nor will it infect the plant from the soil.
Control: Store bulbs at the recommended minimum temperature; do not plant bulbs whose basal plates have already been damaged: diseased bulbs must be soaked for 30 minutes in a 1:1000 aqueous solution of captan, chlorothalonil, carbendazim, or other fungicides before planting. After planting, maintain an appropriate soil temperature.
(2) Bulb and scale rot and stem diseases caused by Fusarium
Symptoms: Plants with bulb and scale rot grow very slowly, and the leaves are pale green. Underground, brown spots appear at the top of the scales, on the sides, or where the scales join the basal plate, and these spots gradually begin to rot. If the basal plate stem is infected, the entire bulb will rot. The stem disease caused by Fusarium is a disease that infects the aboveground parts. The identifying sign is that the basal leaves turn yellow before maturity, and the yellowed leaves turn brown and fall off. On the underground part of the stem, orange to dark brown spots appear, which then enlarge and finally extend into the interior of the stem. The stem then rots, and finally the plant dies before maturity:
Control: a. Disinfect infected soil; b. Plant mildly or moderately infected bulbs as quickly as possible, and the soil temperature must be low.
(3) Rhizoctonia
Symptoms: If the infection is mild, it only harms the leaves in the soil and the green leaves at the lower part of young shoots, with sunken light brown spots appearing on the leaves. Generally speaking, although plant growth is somewhat affected, it can still continue to grow. In severely infected plants, the upper growth is hindered, and the white leaves underground as well as the lowest leaves aboveground will rot or wilt and fall off, leaving only brown scars on the stem:
Control: Disinfect soil suspected of infection with a soil disinfectant. After disinfection, the soil must be guaranteed not to become infected again; if the preceding crop has already shown infection, general soil disinfectants cannot be used, so before planting, pre-treat the soil with an agent for controlling Rhizoctonia (fully incorporated into the soil to a depth of 10cm).
(4) Phytophthora
Symptoms: Foot rot of the plant (Phytophthora) hinders growth or causes sudden wilting. Soft rot develops at the infected area at the base of the stem, becoming dark green to dark brown and spreading upward, the leaves turn yellow, and discoloration begins at the base of the stem. Similar soft rot infections also often occur on the aboveground stem, causing the stem to damp off or bend.
Control: Disinfect infected soil with a general soil disinfectant; fungicides that control Pythium can also effectively control foot rot during cultivation; ensure the soil has good drainage; prevent the crop from remaining wet for long periods after watering; keep the soil temperature as low as possible in summer.
(5) Pythium
Symptoms: These fungi attack both individual plants and plants within an area. Plants are stunted, the lower leaves turn yellow, the upper leaves become narrower and paler in color, and often wilt. In plants affected by root rot, the flower buds shrivel. When the plant is pulled up, transparent, light brown rotten spots can be seen on the bulb and root crown, or they have completely softened and rotted.
Control: Disinfect infected or suspect soil with a general soil disinfectant; keep the soil temperature low in the early cultivation period, and use correct cultivation procedures throughout the growing period: growing in boxes filled with potting soil and peat can keep Pythium under control.
After the crop has emerged, or where Pythium infection may have occurred, fungicides for controlling Pythium that can easily be sprayed onto the crop can be used, preferably in the evening. Spraying water for a few minutes (about three minutes) before applying the fungicide will significantly enhance the effect of the fungicide, and can also rinse the crop clean.
2. Abnormal phenomena
(1) Leaf scorch
Symptoms: First, the young leaves curl slightly inward, and a few days later yellow to white spots appear on the scorched leaves. If leaf scorch is mild, the plant can still continue to grow normally, but if the leaf scorch is very severe, the white spots can turn brown, and the leaves bend at the damaged spots. In very severe cases, all the leaves and young shoots fall off and the plant will not develop further; this is called the most severe scorch. Control: The soil should be kept moist before planting; it is best not to use susceptible varieties: the planting depth should be appropriate, with 6-10cm of soil above the bulb: during periods of increased sensitivity, avoid large differences in temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse, and keep relative humidity at around 75% as much as possible.
(2) Bud drop and bud shriveling
Symptoms: Bud drop occurs when the flower buds have grown to 1-2cm. The color of the buds turns pale green, and at the same time the pedicel connecting to the stem shortens, after which the buds fall off. In spring, the lower buds are affected first, while in autumn the higher buds drop first.
Control: Do not grow varieties prone to bud drop in environments with poor light. To prevent bud shriveling, the bulbs must not dry out during cultivation. Ensure the bulbs have a good root system and let them grow under conditions as suitable as possible, paying particular attention to light and transpiration.
★How should potted lilies be grown
How potted lilies should be grown is what many fellow growers who want to grow lilies themselves want to know. Many articles online are very theoretical, leaving growers feeling uncertain, so let us use an actual case to explain in detail how to grow potted lilies.
First, a brief introduction: Lilies are perennial herbaceous bulbous plants of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae, mainly distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere such as eastern Asia, Europe, and North America. More than a hundred varieties have been found worldwide, and China is their most important place of origin, with more than fifty native species; it is the natural distribution center of the genus Lilium.
I. The materials needed for planting lilies are as follows:
1. Soil Lilies are not very strict about soil; as long as it does not waterlog, ordinary garden soil is also suitable. Of course, nutrient soil is even better, and for the fussy, peat is also fine.
2. Pot This needs attention: lilies have well-developed roots, so a relatively deep and large pot is suitable; small pots are not suitable! In the case below, a 2-gallon pot is used.
3. Choosing a location Some fellow growers may ask whether a balcony with no light at home is all right, or whether they can grow them on a rooftop terrace. Here it should be said that lilies like cool, humid environments; places with plenty of sunlight and slightly shaded environments suit lilies better. They dislike drought and intense heat, and their cold tolerance is somewhat weaker. The temperature for lily growth and flowering is 16-24°C; below 5°C or above 30°C growth almost stops, and plants only grow normally above 10°C; above 25°C growth stagnates again. If the winter nighttime temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be seriously affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers.
II. First, feast your eyes
The bulbs in the picture below are lily bulbs just received a few days ago; they look pretty good, right! I got five in total and will not post them one by one; hundreds of fellow growers on the forum joined the group buy!III. Planting process
First: I planned to divide my 5 bulbs between 2 flower pots. I first checked the colors of the bulb varieties: Siberia had 2 (this is because another variety was originally detained by customs and this was a substitute) white, Marlon is pink. Yelloween is yellow, and Tiber is also pink. I planned to plant Siberia and Marlon in white flower pots, and the other three in 2+ pots, so they would look striking when flowering.
Second: First clean the flower pots thoroughly, lay breathable coarse coal cinder at the bottom, and cover with soil.
Third: Sprinkle some phosphorus fertilizer on top of the soil (bone meal can also be used instead); if you do not have bone meal, chicken manure can also be used instead, to ensure nutrition for flowering.
Fourth: Cover with soil again, and after covering, sprinkle carbendazim (I carefully checked the root bulbs and found no mold; fellow growers who received diseased root bulbs can soak the root bulbs in carbendazim before planting).
Fifth: Cover with soil again and place the root bulbs in. You can use scissors to cut off the roots that have already dried out, then cover with soil. Generally the soil can be level with the upper sprout of the root bulb, and a distance should be left between the soil surface and the rim of the pot for adding soil later; this depth is not enough.
Sixth: Water thoroughly, then just place in a cool, open-air spot.IV. Answers to questions during the planting process
Overall, lilies are very easy to grow. As long as the bulbs are bought correctly, the flowering and survival rate is almost 100%, and the growing period, depending on the variety, is generally around 90-150 days;
1. How many lilies can be planted in one pot
It depends on the size of the pot. For a 2-gallon pot with a diameter of about 25 centimeters, planting 1-3 is fine!
2. Can lilies rebloom
Whether lilies rebloom depends relatively speaking mainly on the first year of planting. If the first year of planting is good, reblooming in the second year is no problem.
3. Are lilies very fragrant
Different lily varieties have different fragrance intensities. Whether a particular one is fragrant can be determined according to the variety description at the time of purchase.
★Lily cultivation techniques
Authors: Zhu Yunyi, Yang Ming
Lilies are bulbous herbaceous plants of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae. Lily stems are upright and elegant, the leaves are emerald green, the flower shapes are unusual, the flowers are large and brightly colored, and the colors are elegant. Lilies carry the meaning of a harmonious union lasting a hundred years, and are very lovable; they are one of the bulbous flowers widely cultivated at home and abroad today. The introduction and cultivation of lilies in China is gradually expanding, and market sales are increasingly active.
I. Morphological characteristics
Lilies are perennial herbaceous plants. The bulb is a naked bulb, spherical, pale white, formed by the aggregation of several fleshy, thick, egg-spoon-shaped scales; the stem is erect, with stem roots at the underground nodes, the stem cylindrical or rhombic, the aboveground stem upright and sturdy, green and smooth, with a stem diameter of 3-10mm and a plant height of 70-200 centimeters; the leaves are scattered or alternate, sessile, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, entire, with a total of more than 100 leaves; the flowers are borne singly in several leaf axils at the top of the stem, with 1-10 flowers, large and trumpet-shaped, with different colors and fragrances depending on the variety.
II. Requirements for environmental conditions
1. Temperature. Lilies like warm environments with plenty of sunlight, are relatively cold-tolerant, and fear high temperatures, strong light, and high humidity. The optimum growing temperature for lilies is 15-25°C. Below 10°C growth is slow, and above 30°C growth is poor and leaf burn occurs. During growth, daytime temperatures of 21-23°C and nighttime temperatures of 15-17°C are best. However, bulbs have a dormant period and must undergo low-temperature storage at 3-7°C for 4-6 weeks to break bulb dormancy before planting will result in sprouting.
2. Light. Lilies like soft light and also tolerate strong light and semi-shade. Insufficient light causes flower bud drop; with sufficient light, plants are sturdy, shorter, and have vivid flowers. Lilies are long-day plants; long light periods make them flower earlier, and short light periods delay flowering.
3. Water. When planting lily bulbs, the furrows should be filled with water to 3/4, allowing the water to fully penetrate the bed surface; afterward, when water is lacking, irrigate by running water, keeping the soil moist at all times. This can increase the sprouting rate of bulbs, make sprouting uniform, and benefit stem and leaf growth.
4. Nutrients. Lilies are bulbous cut flower plants that like phosphorus and potassium and dislike excessive nitrogen. Sufficient phosphorus and potassium help improve flower quality and the formation and plumpness of bulbs. Excessive nitrogen is unfavorable for flower and bulb formation, and flower quality is poor and weak. Fertilization should be mainly organic fertilizer, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement.
III. Cultivation techniques
1. Reasonably arrange the planting period. At present, lilies are grown in Hunan, Sichuan, Henan, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other places in China. We should make full use of the climate conditions unique to our southern winters, arranging the harvest period from late December to May Day, trying as much as possible to avoid competing for the market with lilies grown in other provinces, striving to sell at a good price and obtain greater income and better economic benefits. Lilies generally take 80-130 days from planting to harvest and market. Early planting (such as before the Autumn Equinox) means high temperatures, long daylight, and strong light, shortening the time from planting to harvest; late planting (such as after Cold Dew) means low temperatures, short daylight, and weak light, prolonging the time from planting to harvest. If they are to be marketed at Christmas, they should be planted in mid-to-late September; if marketed at Spring Festival, they should be planted in mid-to-late October.
2. Choose the site, prepare the land carefully, and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Choose plots with deep soil, loose and fertile texture, high terrain, and good drainage for planting. Planting lilies in plots with half shade and half sun and slightly acidic soil is even better. Lilies should not be grown continuously, and fields whose previous crop was pepper, eggplant, or similar crops should not be used; leguminous or grass crops are better.
3. Build frames and cover with shade nets for shading. To meet the light, temperature and humidity requirements of lilies during growth, lilies prefer soft light (semi-shade) and fear high temperatures and strong light. After the land is prepared and the beds are made, frames must be built and shade nets covered before the seed bulbs emerge. A shade net with 70-80% shading is best. For plantings from April to August, add an extra layer of shade net to lower the field temperature and light intensity, raise field humidity, avoid or reduce high-temperature and strong-light damage to the stems and leaves, and promote the growth of stems and leaves. However, when the daytime maximum temperature drops to 26°C (generally in early December), the shade net should be uncovered to increase light intensity and promote the growth of stems and leaves. When the average temperature falls below 10°C, cover with nylon film again to increase temperature and retain moisture, ensuring normal growth of the lilies so they bloom and can be harvested as expected.
4. Reasonable close planting. Because lilies tolerate semi-shade, on the basis of sufficient basal fertilizer they can be planted more densely. Generally, 12,000-18,000 seed bulbs can be planted per mu, with a plant-to-row spacing of 15-20 x 10-15 cm, and a planting depth of 10 cm for the seed bulbs (at least the height of 3 seed bulbs), so as to prevent the sun from burning the root system. After planting, spray butachlor immediately to control early field weeds.
5. Field management. After the seedlings emerge uniformly, before the seedlings grow to 20 cm, in combination with intertillage and weeding, apply 500 kg of human and animal manure and 10 kg of superphosphate per mu, or apply 10-15 kg of high-quality compound fertilizer (containing 15% each of nitrogen, P2O5 and K2O) plus 5 kg of urea. The fertilizer solution should be dilute rather than concentrated; too high a concentration easily damages the roots and inhibits growth, so apply frequently and lightly, watering it on once every 8-10 days. When topdressing, avoid the fertilizer solution directly touching the seed bulbs and plant stems, to prevent rot of the bulbs and stems. If the fertilizer solution splashes onto the stems and leaves, spray clean water immediately after applying the fertilizer solution to wash off the fertilizer solution on the stems and leaves, so as not to damage the leaves and plants. However, when the winter temperature drops below 8°C, fertilization should be stopped and resumed when the temperature rises again. After the lilies emerge, deep tillage for weeding is no longer suitable, to avoid damaging the root system; weeds should be pulled as soon as they appear to prevent weed damage.
6. Water management. Because lilies like moisture, fear waterlogging and are averse to drought, ditches should be cleared frequently in rainy weather to drain accumulated water and irrigation should be done in drought, maintaining moisture, ensuring that footprints remain after people walk into the bed pits (but the feet do not sink), that the surface soil on the bed does not show white, that the surface soil between beds forms a ball when grasped by hand, and that when a mud ball is released from a height of one meter above the ground, it breaks apart upon landing.
7. Timely prevention and control of pests and diseases. Lilies have relatively few pests and diseases. The main diseases are anthracnose, gray mold, damping-off, root rot and bulb rot. Anthracnose can be controlled with chlorothalonil, difenoconazole, carbendazim plus thiram, anthracnose Fumei, etc.; gray mold can be controlled with mancozeb, procymidone, 50% iprodione, chlorothalonil or 1% Bordeaux mixture; for damping-off, first remove the diseased plants, then control with 1% Bordeaux mixture, chlorothalonil, thiram, etc.; for root rot and bulb rot, before planting mix the seed bulbs with 0.5% quintozene to prevent disease occurrence, and in the early stage of disease, drench or spray with 50% amobam 300-500 times solution. For disease control in lilies, spray once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. The main insect pests are aphids and white grubs. Aphids and white grubs often gather on tender leaves and flower buds to suck sap, causing the plants to shrivel and grow poorly; they can be controlled with fenvalerate, omethoate, imidacloprid, Dagongshen, etc. When controlling pests and diseases, it is best to add some foliar fertilizer, which both controls pests and diseases and promotes the growth of stems and leaves.
8. Harvest the seed bulbs at the right time. When the underground seed bulbs swell, become plump and full, and the aboveground stems and leaves turn yellow or even dry up and fall off, the seed bulbs can be harvested. Keep the root system on the harvested seed bulbs, remove the loose soil, pile them by grade, and later pack them into cold storage for low-temperature treatment.
★Cultivation Techniques for Oriental Lilies
With the improvement of people's living standards, the sales of fresh flowers have increased day by day. In 2007 we introduced Oriental lilies for cultivation in small batches and achieved success. The cultivation techniques are now introduced as follows:
1 Land preparation
Deeply plow the soil 30 cm, and per 667 sq m apply 2-3 cu m of peat or rotted fallen larch needles, 3-5 kg of ferrous sulfate, and 500-1000 kg of organic fertilizer such as expanded chicken manure, so that the soil pH is slightly acidic at 6-6.5; also add 1.5-2.5 kg of thiram or 2000-3000 ml of dazomet for disinfection.
2 Bed making
Make raised beds 20 cm high and 80-100 cm wide, leave a 40 cm walkway between two beds, and the length depends on the land.
3 Planting
The planting time must be determined by two indicators: the flower supply time and the growth cycle of the variety. Be sure to use seed bulbs whose dormancy period has passed. The dormancy period varies with variety; generally, after the leaves turn yellow and the bulbs are lifted, dormancy can be broken in 80-120 days in an environment of 0-4°C. For seed bulb disinfection, mix with carbendazim at 5-10 g/kg, or soak the bulbs in a 2% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for 10 minutes before planting. When planting, first scrape the soil layer about 8 cm on the bed surface to one side, then use a nail board or tree root cut to the measured size to make holes at set distances. Generally, for medium-sized seed bulbs the density in spring and autumn is 13 cm x 13 cm; for large bulbs increase by 1 cm, and for small bulbs decrease by 1 cm; in winter the spacing is slightly larger, and in summer it is denser. Generally, about 20,000 bulbs are planted per 667 sq m. After making the holes, place the seed bulbs on the holes, then fill back the bed surface soil that was scraped to one side and rake it level.
4 Water management
After planting, water thoroughly with drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation; unless it is summer, flood irrigation is prohibited. After that, water the seedbed whenever it dries, watering until it connects with the moist lower soil. Avoid water accumulation to prevent root rot. In too dry weather, spray water on the leaves to maintain a relative air humidity of about 70%.
5 Temperature management
From planting the seed bulbs to emergence takes 20-30 days. During this period the temperature should be about 12°C to favor rooting. After emergence, raise the temperature, otherwise the plants are prone to infection by multiple diseases. Therefore, winter production requires heating with oil furnaces or small boilers, etc., and in summer cooling is done by pulling shade nets or covering the ground with grass.
6 Light management
When planting lilies in winter, choose day-neutral lilies as much as possible, and do not choose long-day lilies, while in spring, summer and autumn long-day varieties are also acceptable. Lilies prefer light and do not tolerate shade; supplementary lighting in winter gives better growth. If not supplementing light, open the straw curtains as early as possible and cover them late, to extend the light duration. In summer, if a shade net with 30% shading can be used to block part of the strong light, it helps the lilies grow faster and enlarge their flowers.
7 Nutrition management
Start topdressing after the small seedlings grow stems and the leaves unfold. Apply chemical fertilizer once every 10-15 days, applying 4-5 kg each of diammonium phosphate and potassium nitrate mixed per 667 sq m. When the plants are 60 cm tall, spray 2%-3% monopotassium phosphate on the leaves every 7-10 days. If the leaves as a whole turn yellow, spray 0.5% urea; if the small leaves turn yellow, spray 0.1% ferrous sulfate, while adding trace fertilizers such as copper and zinc. When the flower buds are 6 cm long, stop topdressing.
8 Pest and disease control
The main diseases of lilies are black spot, gray mold and rust, which can be controlled by spraying 25% carbendazim wettable powder 500 times solution; the insect pests include white grubs, aphids, etc., which can be controlled by spraying 25% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution.
★Open-field Cultivation Techniques for Lilies
Open-field cultivation is also a commonly used production method for cut-flower lilies. It has the advantages of low production cost and simple cultivation management, but the disadvantages of open-field cultivation are also obvious: the flowering period is not easy to control, and low product quality is the main factor affecting open-field production of cut-flower lilies.
1. Land selection
For open-field cultivation, lilies should be planted on land that is high and well-drained, with loose soil. High-altitude cool mountain areas, or areas by lakes and rivers and peninsulas, are ideal locations for growing lilies. Northwest Yunnan Province, Xichang in Sichuan, the Qinba mountain area in Shaanxi, Anshan in Liaoning, and Lanzhou in Gansu in China can all serve as bases for open-field production of cut-flower lilies.
Soil improvement
Generally speaking, the soil used for producing lilies does not occupy as vast an area as that for grain crops. If the soil texture is unsuitable, local soil replacement can be used to create a suitable soil environment. When locally replacing the soil for lily plots, first dig out the original soil in the rows where lilies are to be planted, and add soft, good soil medium. So-called soil medium refers to artificially prepared materials used instead of soil. Commonly used soil media include pine needle soil, peat, fermented sawdust, vermiculite, perlite, etc. Mix these materials with soil in a certain proportion and fill them into the planting furrows for lilies, then plant the lilies. In addition, attention should be paid to measuring the soil pH of the cultivation site.
How to improve soil pH: 6 weeks before planting, take soil samples for analysis, measuring salt and oxide content, pH and nutrient content. If the salt content and chloride content exceed the standard, a large amount of irrigation water must be used to dilute the salts in the soil. Maintaining the correct pH helps the lily root system absorb nutrients from the soil. Applying peat mixed with topsoil can lower pH, and using ammonium fertilizer and urea can also lower pH. In addition, mixing a small amount of sulfur powder or ferrous sulfate into the soil can also lower soil pH. If the soil pH is too low, mix lime-containing compounds or magnesium-containing lime with the soil before planting. After using lime, wait at least 1 week before planting. During the growth stage, it is best to use nitrate nitrogen fertilizer, which can raise pH.
2. Crop rotation
To prevent the massive occurrence of lily pests and diseases, crop rotation should be practiced. Before planting, an overall plan should be made for the land, and all plots planted with cut-flower lilies should be rotated every year. During rotation, the previous crop should not be bulb flowers of the Liliaceae or Amaryllidaceae families; planting leguminous plants is most suitable.
Basal fertilizer
The fertilizer applied before planting lilies is basal fertilizer, generally organic fertilizer with long-lasting effect. There are two ways to prepare basal fertilizer: one is to mix the soil with 1/3 of various humus fertilizers (organic fertilizer mixed from rotted leaf mold, compost, peat, cake fertilizer, etc.) to form a 30 cm deep furrow, first spread the above mixed soil in the furrow, then plant the lilies. Lilies planted in this mixed soil generally grow better. The mixed soil both improves the soil and achieves the purpose of applying basal fertilizer.
3. Planting
Planting period: open-field cultivated lilies are mostly planted in autumn, while cold areas use spring planting.
Taking Beijing's climatic conditions as an example, the minimum temperature in January in winter is generally 8-15°C, and most cut-flower lilies can overwinter in the open field. Summer is relatively hot, and the maximum temperature in July can reach 33-36°C. Therefore, lilies are in a semi-dormant period during this time. According to Beijing's climatic characteristics, lilies can be planted in autumn or spring. Autumn planting is generally carried out in September-October when the temperature drops noticeably. Autumn-planted lilies develop a good root system and grow robustly, with more flowers the next year. Spring planting is generally carried out in March-April when the temperature begins to rise. They sprout in April-May and bolt and form buds in May-June. From mid-June to the end of July is the peak flowering season for open-field cut-flower lilies.
The flowering period of autumn-planted lilies and spring-planted lilies differs little, but the stem height and flower number of spring-planted lilies are inferior to those of autumn-planted lilies.
Topdressing
For open-field cultivated lilies, topdressing should be carried out in the early growth stage, late growth stage and bud stage respectively. In the early growth stage, apply 37.5 kg of diammonium phosphate and 75 kg of urea per hectare; in the late growth stage, apply 75 kg of diammonium phosphate and 22.5 kg of monopotassium phosphate per hectare; the fertilization method is to dissolve the above fertilizers in water and pour the solution on. In the bud stage, apply 22.5 kg of potassium sulfate, 30 kg of monopotassium phosphate and 0.3 kg of boric acid per hectare, sprayed on the leaves at 0.1%.
Irrigation
Open-field cultivated lilies can obtain part of their water from natural rainfall, but because it is often untimely, it is far from meeting the needs of normal plant growth and development, especially in dry seasons, when timely irrigation is even more important. For open-field cultivated lilies, flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation can be chosen according to local conditions. Flood irrigation is to introduce water directly onto the bed surface, causing soil compaction. Sprinkler irrigation distributes water evenly and can increase air humidity. Drip irrigation uses a low-pressure pipeline system to make irrigation water form droplets, slowly and constantly infiltrating the soil within the range of the plant root activity. Modern cut-flower cultivation often combines sprinkler and drip irrigation: sprinkler irrigation creates a suitable air humidity environment for plant growth, and drip irrigation supplies the water needed for plant root activity. The amount, frequency and time of irrigation often vary with the season, soil quality and cultivated variety. As for the amount of water per irrigation, the principle should be thorough watering and moderation. In summer, temperatures are high and evaporation is great, so irrigation frequency should be higher; in autumn and early winter, water demand is low, so water as little as possible, and irrigate once with winter water before freezing. Clay soil should be irrigated less frequently, while sandy soil should be irrigated more frequently. During the day, in summer, irrigation should be done in the morning and evening, when the difference between water temperature and soil temperature is relatively small, so as not to affect root activity.
4. Intertillage and weeding
In open-field cultivation, lily soil tends to compact after rain or watering, which is unfavorable to root growth. In addition, because weeds have strong reproductive capacity, they grow together with lily plants and compete for water, nutrients, sunlight and space, and can also lead to pest and disease occurrence in lily plants. Therefore, timely intertillage and weeding must be carried out to create a good living environment for the growth of lily plants.
Intertillage should be carried out in combination with loosening the soil after irrigation. The depth of intertillage should be: shallow hoeing at the seedling stage to prevent root damage; shallow hoeing near the plants, and deep hoeing in the rows away from the plants. When the lilies grow luxuriantly and the field closes in, there is no need to loosen the soil anymore.
Weeding should be carried out as early as possible at the initial stage of weed occurrence, and must be completely cleared before the weeds set seed. As for weeding methods, small areas are mainly hand-weeded, while large areas can use mechanical weeding or chemical weeding.
5. Setting up nets and supports
Open-field cultivated lilies are often vulnerable to unfavorable weather and climate such as wind, rain and hail, so nets and supports must be set up in time to prevent the plants from lodging.
6. Topdressing
Lilies are a potassium-loving crop. According to nutritional analysis of Yixing lily plants at various growth stages, K2O content is the highest, with the average content in aboveground stems and leaves at various growth stages being 3.76%, which is 5.55 times the K2O5 content and 1.59 times the N content; the average K2O content in underground bulbs at various growth stages is 2.16%, which is 4.48 times the K2O content and 1.59 times the N content. The seedling stage is the period of highest K2O content among the growth stages, with 4.70% in stems and leaves and 2.88% in bulbs. As for the proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in lily plants at various growth stages, the period of highest K2O proportion in both aboveground stems and leaves and bulbs is the middle and late growth stages of lilies, namely the bulbil harvest period and the full flowering period (the beginning of decline of aboveground stems and leaves). The proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in aboveground stems and leaves are 1:0.20:1.98 and 1:0.22:2.22 respectively; the proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in bulbs are 1:0.41:1.79 and 1:0.34:1.66. The traditional cultivation of Yixing lilies uses straw mulching and application of organic fertilizers such as pig manure and cake fertilizer, which can supply large amounts of potassium. Generally, about 450 kg of dry straw is spread per mu. Experiments have shown that without straw mulching, yield decreases by 14.48%. Adding potassium fertilizer to lilies can promote rooting during overwintering and growth at the seedling stage, and meet the potassium peak demand of lily plants in the middle and late stages. Potassium can promote the synthesis and transport of carbohydrates in the crop. When potassium supply is sufficient, the content of lignin, cellulose and starch in lily plants increases, and the carbohydrates formed by photosynthesis are quickly transported to the bulbs, promoting bulb expansion. Experiments show that applying 15 kg, 10 kg of potassium sulfate and 75 kg of plant ash per mu generally increases yield by 10% over the control. Among them, plant ash ranks first in yield. In potassium-deficient fields, applying potassium fertilizer increases yield even more significantly, with the highest increase of 54.29%, and each kilogram of potassium sulfate can increase lily yield by 32.76 kg. While lilies emerge, new daughter bulbs also differentiate and develop in the heart buds of the seed bulbs, so it is necessary to promote strong seedlings and early growth in the early stage. Through repeated experiments, lily fertilizer management should adhere to the principle of "heavy at the front, controlled in the middle, supplemented at the end" and the two "mainly" fertilization methods, namely mainly organic fertilizer, applied at planting time and before emergence, accounting for more than 70% of the total fertilization amount. Generally, basal fertilizer per mu includes about 450 kg of dry straw mulching, 2.5 tons of high-quality pig manure, 50-75 kg of rotted cake fertilizer, 30 kg of standard nitrogen chemical fertilizer, 20-30 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 15-20 kg of potassium fertilizer. When earthing up before emergence, apply 50 kg of cake fertilizer, 15 kg of standard nitrogen chemical fertilizer, 10 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 15 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu (or 30-40 kg of three-element compound fertilizer alone). If there is no potassium fertilizer, increase the application of 100 kg of plant ash. For Yixing lilies with a yield of more than 1000 kg per mu, the total fertilization amount is 42.7 kg of pure nitrogen, 514.1 kg of K2O and 56.2 kg of K2O, with a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 1:0.33:1.32. Experiments with different amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium chemical fertilizers show that the optimal application rate of chemical nitrogen fertilizer is 6 kg of K2O5 per mu, and chemical potassium K2O 7.5-22.5 kg. The suitable soil pH for lily growth is pH 5.7-6.3. Soils along the Taihu Lake area are generally neutral to slightly acidic, with pH between 6.5 and 5.0. The results of tests on phosphate fertilizer types show that fused calcium magnesium phosphate is more effective than superphosphate. Lily bulbs are tender; affected by the free acid in superphosphate, the rate of lily rot and missing plants increases, disease is severe, with an incidence rate as high as 60% and a disease index as high as 52.5%, reducing yield by 4.6% compared with applying fused calcium magnesium phosphate, and the bulb color is also poor. On alkaline soil with pH above 7.5, applying superphosphate can appropriately regulate soil pH and benefit lily growth.
★Cultivation of Oriental Lilies
Oriental lilies, namely Lilium oriental hybrids, are one of the ten most popular flowers in the world today. Because of their beautiful flower shape, bright colors and abundant fragrance, they are ideal materials for gift bouquets, flower baskets and artistic flower arrangements. Since China's reform and opening up, they have developed rapidly. Especially in recent years, due to the sharp increase in flower usage in China, their planting area has continued to expand, and Oriental lilies have become an indispensable type among fresh flowers. Their cultivation techniques are now introduced as follows:
I. Land selection, bed preparation, disinfection
(1) Land selection. Because Oriental lily seed bulbs degenerate quickly and have strict requirements for the cultivation environment, suitable planting areas are hard to find, so the selection of the planting site is also of utmost importance. Oriental lilies like cool, humid climates and semi-shaded environments, and the soil should be deep, loose, well-drained, rich in humus and slightly acidic.
(2) Bed preparation. The bed surface is generally prepared 1-1.2 m wide and 25-30 cm high, with a 40 cm wide ditch between beds. Before preparing the beds, apply 1-1.3 tons of humus soil or pig manure per simple greenhouse (30 m €?.5 m), sprinkle 2 kg of carbofuran or phoxim (used to kill underground pests), water to loosen the soil and mix it thoroughly.
(3) Disinfection. Because Oriental lilies are extremely susceptible to stem rot, phytophthora blight, leaf blight and gray mold, prevention should be the priority, starting with good control in the soil. The commonly used methods are steam disinfection and chemical disinfection. a. Steam disinfection: bury heat-resistant plastic pipes with small holes 30 cm below the bed surface, cover the bed surface with film, then feed in steam and continue fumigating for 1 hour. b. Chemical disinfection: generally use 40% formalin prepared into a 1:50 solution and splash it on the bed surface, at a rate of 25-30 kg per M. After splashing, cover with plastic film for 2 days, then uncover the film and dry it for 10 days. Planting can only be done after the chemical vapor has completely dissipated.
II. Cultivation management
(1) Treatment of seed bulbs. Before planting, pick the seed bulbs out of the bulb boxes, handling them gently to prevent breaking the sprouts. At the same time, check the quality of the seed bulbs and remove unqualified seed bulbs such as those with broken sprouts or rot, or with rotted scales or basal plates. Soak the seed bulbs in a 500-800 times solution of fungicides such as thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil or carbendazim for 15-20 minutes.
(2) Planting time. In order to bloom at Spring Festival and Valentine's Day, planting should generally be done in mid-October and early November, and it is best to plant before 10 o'clock in the morning or after 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
(3) Planting density and depth. Generally the plant spacing is 10-15 cm and the row spacing is 15-18 cm; as for depth, the planting depth is about 6-8 cm above the sprout point. After planting, cover the surface with a layer of sawdust and fallen leaves, cover well with a shade net, and water thoroughly at the same time.
(4) Make labels and records. After planting, labels should also be made, noting the specification and planting date. Hang two thermometers and hygrometers in each greenhouse, one at the front and one in the middle, and keep a record book. Observe the thermometers and hygrometers three times a day and keep good records.
(5) Points for attention
1. The sprout point of the planted seed bulb should point vertically upward to the ground.
2. Lower the soil temperature before planting.
3. The Oriental lilies we plant in Guangxi are generally air-freighted from Kunming and have already been thawed, so they should be planted as soon as possible, minimizing the time left in the open field, and preferably planted within two days.
4. After the small seedlings grow 2 cm above the ground, promptly straighten the small seedlings that are not growing upright. This critical period must be strictly grasped; if this opportunity is missed, straightening the seedlings again easily damages the root system, and not straightening them will seriously affect the survival quality of the Oriental lilies.
(6) Water and fertilizer management. When planting Oriental lilies, sprinkle 5 kg of superphosphate per greenhouse, then from planting until emergence generally do not fertilize, but keep the soil moist, to the extent that no water oozes out when the soil is grasped by hand, avoiding excessive dryness or waterlogging. Especially during the rooting period and harvest period, the water demand is relatively large, and especially it must not be too dry. When the small seedlings grow to 10-15 cm, start applying the first fertilizer, then apply once a week, adhering to the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently. At the same time, in each greenhouse and for each specification, select several representative plants and measure their height, leaf length and width, and number of leaves every three days, and keep records, so as to adjust and determine the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for the next application. Generally, in the early and middle stages, apply more compound fertilizer mainly of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium, with a ratio of 10:15:8, to promote seedling growth and rooting; in the middle and late stages, emphasize compound fertilizer mainly of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, with a ratio of 8:10:20, to help increase the hardness of the branches; spray monopotassium phosphate once every 10 days at a concentration of 0.1%. At the same time, pay attention to watering, avoid excessive dryness or waterlogging, and maintain air humidity at 50%-80%.
Points for attention: It is strictly forbidden to pour fertilizer onto the leaves. If fertilizer is accidentally poured onto the leaves, rinse quickly with clean water, so as not to burn the leaves and affect quality.
(7) Temperature management. The temperature must not exceed 30°C at the highest and must not be lower than 5°C at the lowest. The most suitable soil temperature is 12°C-15°C. If it exceeds 18°C or is lower than 10°C, it is unfavorable to the roots. After rooting, the temperature can be raised, maintaining 18-25°C during the day and 12-18°C at night. Too high during the day will reduce plant height, reduce the number of flower buds per stem, and produce a large number of blind flowers. Night temperature below 12°C will cause bud drop or leaf yellowing, reducing ornamental value.
(8) Light management. The development of Oriental lily flower buds especially needs sufficient light conditions, but too high a temperature will burn the leaves and reduce the ornamental effect.
(9) Pulling nets and setting up supports. In addition to the color and shape of the flowers themselves and the texture of the petals, the height standard of Oriental lilies also requires the stems to stand upright and straight. Oriental lilies have strong phototropism, and those cultivated in winter often lean southward and lodge, so nets must be pulled and supports set up in time. According to the specification of the seed bulbs, for large bulbs, set up supports and pull nets the first time when they grow to 20 cm, and the second time when they grow to 45-50 cm; for small bulbs, set up supports and pull nets the first time when they grow to 15 cm, and the second time when they grow to 40-45 cm.
(10) Pest and disease control. Oriental lilies are prone to phytophthora blight, gray mold and stem blight. a. Pay attention to ventilation in the greenhouse and keep it clean; b. In the early stage of disease, immediately remove the diseased plants and spray 1% Bordeaux mixture and 65% zineb 600 times solution, or use 800-1000 times solution of bactericidal agents (such as thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil, agricultural streptomycin for bacteria, etc.) to drench the roots or spray; c. Usually focus on prevention, spraying bactericidal agents once every 10-15 days. D. Insect pests are generally aphids, prevented with omethoate and derris extract, etc. After occurrence, spray 2-3 times consecutively. Pay special attention not to use dichlorvos during the flowering period, otherwise it will damage the petals. Therefore, when aphids occur on the corolla, use deltamethrin or pyrethrum for control.
III. Harvest
For stems with 5-10 flower heads, harvest only after 2 flower buds have colored; for stems with fewer than 5 flower heads, harvest only after at least 1 flower bud has colored. The best harvest time is in the morning, which can reduce water loss and keep the flower buds from wilting easily. After harvesting, insert them into clean water containing a preservative as soon as possible to absorb water.