What to Do When Gloxinia Leaves Turn Yellow, Blacken, and Drop
Gloxinia leaves turning yellow is a very common problem, and attention should be paid to routine care. What to do when gloxinia leaves turn yellow and black? How to solve leaf drop: What to do when gloxinia leaves turn yellow and black: water appropriately; gloxinia should be watered sparingly, and not watered until the soil is dry. In winter, gloxinia enters dormancy, and watering can be stopped.
Gloxinia leaves turning yellow is a very common problem, and attention should be paid to routine care. What to do when gloxinia leaves turn yellow and black? How to solve leaf drop:
What to do when gloxinia leaves turn yellow and black:
1. Water appropriately
Gloxinia should be watered sparingly, and not watered until the soil is dry.
In winter, gloxinia enters dormancy, and watering can be stopped.
Do not water the leaves. The surface of gloxinia leaves is covered in fine hairs, and watering will leave water spots and cause rot.
2. Provide sufficient indirect light
Place gloxinia in a spot where it can receive indirect light during daily care, but avoid direct sunlight. If it is the seedling stage in winter, it should receive full sunlight.
3. Clean the leaves after fertilizing
After each fertilization, rinse the leaves with clean water, then wipe the water off immediately to avoid leaf rot.
How to solve gloxinia leaf drop:
1. Overwatering. Gloxinia cultivation requires high air humidity, but the plant does not like water; uneven watering or overly wet conditions will cause the leaves to turn yellow and rot. Solution: Gloxinia should be watered sparingly, and if the potting soil is not dry, you can skip watering. In winter, after the plant gradually enters dormancy, watering should be stopped completely. In addition, do not water the leaf surface, to prevent water spots that cause leaf rot and drop.
2. Too little light
Gloxinia is a semi-shade plant, but it still needs sunlight. If it cannot receive sunlight for a long time, the leaves will also turn yellow and drop.
Solution: Normally place gloxinia in a spot that avoids strong light but provides enough indirect light. If it is the seedling stage in winter, it should receive sufficient sunlight to make the seedlings grow more robust.
3. Improper fertilizing
Gloxinia likes fertilizer, but its leaf surface is covered with many velvety fine hairs. If fertilizer contaminates the leaf surface, it will cause the leaves to rot and drop.
Solution: After each fertilization, spray clean water once to keep the leaf surface clean, but also be careful not to leave water spots on the leaf surface.
Gloxinia is a fairly easy potted plant to keep alive, but attention should also be paid to the details of cultivation, to avoid conditions that cause the leaves to turn yellow and rot and affect its ornamental value.
Now you know how to deal with gloxinia diseases.
What to Do When Gloxinia Flowers Have Bugs: Detect in Time and Spray Accordingly / Use Vinegar for Mealybugs
Gloxinia is one of the most popular indoor potted flowers today. Its leaves are large and emerald green, its flowers are bright, and its flowering period is long, giving it strong ornamental value. However, when grown indoors, it is easily attacked by various bugs, which seriously affects its beautiful appearance. So what should you do when gloxinia flowers have bugs? Today the editor will help everyone solve this problem.
I. What to do when gloxinia flowers have bugs: identify the pest
As a common ornamental flower, gloxinia is not difficult to cultivate, but during cultivation, for various reasons, it is easily attacked by pests such as mealybugs, thrips, red spider mites, and inchworms, which seriously affects the plant's ornamental value. As for what to do when gloxinia flowers have bugs, we first need to determine which kind of bug it is, then deal with it accordingly.
II. Gloxinia pests and control methods
1. Mealybugs
One of the pests of gloxinia, mealybugs have many species and look similar to nymphs. They mainly harm tender leaves and suck the sap of the flower, causing gloxinia leaves to turn yellow. In severe cases, the branches and leaves are covered with mealybugs, causing the entire plant to wither and die.
Control method: When there are few mealybugs, rinse them off promptly with water, or wipe the affected plant with vinegar, alcohol, or laundry detergent, which works well; when there are many mealybugs, use 550% malathion, 0.1% dimethoate 40% solution, etc. to spray and kill them. Spraying several times can completely wipe them out.
2. Thrips
Thrips are a common pest of gloxinia. They are small in body length; larvae are white, yellow, or orange, and adults are yellow, brown, or black. They mainly harm leaves and flowers, causing gloxinia leaves to become deformed and develop yellow spots. In severe cases, the plant stops growing.
Control method: Once thrips are found, it is best to spray 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate at 1200-1500 times dilution for control, spraying once a week; several sprays are needed to completely eliminate thrips. In addition, when caring for gloxinia normally, promptly clear away thrips host plants, such as some weeds, which has a good preventive effect.
3. Red spider mites
Red spider mites are also one of the pests that attack gloxinia. They are very small, less than one millimeter, so they are hard to find. The pest pierces the leaves with its mouthparts and sucks the sap, damaging the chlorophyll of gloxinia and causing the leaves to become withered and yellow, or even to drop.
Control method: When abnormal leaf color is found, pay more attention to observing the underside of the leaves. If red spider mites are found on individual leaves, they should be removed immediately. When many leaves are affected, spray pesticide early for control. Options include propargite, dicofol, dimethoate, huachongjing, and fenvalerate, etc.
4. Inchworms
Besides the above three pests, inchworms are also one of the pests harming gloxinia. This pest generally appears during the growing period of gloxinia. It mainly harms the leaves, causing the plant to grow slowly or stop growing, and even causing plant death.
Control method: Inchworms are relatively large, so once found, they can be hand-picked and killed. In addition, in the early stage of plant care, carbofuran should be buried in the potting soil for prevention.
Overall, gloxinia has good benefits and is easy to grow, making it very suitable for indoor cultivation. But once management is neglected, it will be targeted by pests and diseases, seriously affecting its ornamental value. So for the health of gloxinia, everyone must care for it carefully. That is all the editor has to introduce about bugs on gloxinia, and I hope it can help everyone.
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 beautifully, 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 time you plan to plant them 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 outside 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 everyone's order (supply, supply quality) has no problems at all, then they must be a liar. 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.Freezing damage - the bulb's sprout turns black (as shown in the picture below). In severe cases, it can only be discarded.2. 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" expresses 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 because of poor drainage, Pythium runs rampant and causes lily root death, ultimately leading to poor growth or even death of the lilies.
The picture below shows the situation where soil was flooded by heavy rain during a typhoon, causing root death from lack of oxygen. Of course, overly compacted soil also makes the situation worse.Soil pH and salinity: Maintaining an appropriate soil pH is very important for the development of lily roots and correct 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 excess is just as bad as deficiency.
Lilies are also sensitive to salinity. Too high salinity will form roots that are hard, fragile, 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 shows what were originally very beautiful roots. Because of the use of undecomposed organic fertilizer, the roots partially or completely died, which is truly a pity.Soil pathogens: Lilies often die because soil fungi harm the roots. Common fungi include Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and Phytophthora. Rhizoctonia only harms the plant while the sprout is still in the soil, and Pythium can be reduced by improving soil drainage. Overall, during the entire growth process, it is very necessary to use broad-spectrum fungicides several times, such as chlorothalonil.
The picture below shows damage caused by Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora.From the above, it can be seen how crucial suitable cultivation soil is to successful cultivation. If the soil is bad, even if you spend a great deal of energy managing it, you can only end up in tears. Therefore, it is best to choose soil that has not previously been used to grow lilies for planting lilies. Of course, the ideal choice is peat (domestic peat is fine). To reduce management difficulty, using 80% peat and adding 20% perlite or pine bark medium is very wise. If base fertilizer is considered, using controlled-release fertilizer with controllable release is most ideal. If you are very partial to organic fertilizer, be sure to use fully decomposed organic fertilizer.With such a good root system, why worry about not having beautiful lily flowers?
2) Temperature
Rooting stage temperature: For 2-3 weeks after planting, maintaining an appropriately low temperature (10-12 degrees) to ensure that lilies can grow good stem roots is very critical. 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 section of a refrigerator. Wrapping lily bulbs in peat (peat not too wet; enough if it drips water when squeezed by hand) (breathable) and placing them in the refrigerator's crisper section for rooting is a good idea. Although low temperature will prolong the growing period, I think everyone should not mind managing it for a few more days.Rooted beforehand: in high-temperature seasons, root them first, then plant.
Growing period temperature: Although the ideal growing temperature for lilies is 15-25 degrees, we cannot control nature's temperature. However, we should still avoid extreme conditions. Below 5 degrees, lilies are very prone to freezing damage; above 35 degrees, the growing period will be greatly shortened and quality will decline accordingly. In summer when sunlight is strong, we can lower the temperature by shading and increasing 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 growing in greenhouses. If your lilies are planted in the yard or placed on a balcony, there is no need to consider this point. In greenhouses, poor growth is often caused by excessively high humidity, but I have not seen outdoor lilies grow poorly even because of continuous rainy weather (provided the soil drainage is good and fungicides are sprayed regularly to control Botrytis). Of course, slight effects will still occur. 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 excessively high greenhouse humidity.Because the humidity is too high, the water pressure inside the plant becomes too great, and ultimately the leaves are damaged when the cell walls rupture. In severe cases, even the flower buds are gone. This is a physiological disorder, not damage from pathogens, so spraying fungicides is useless. Using calcium fertilizer can increase the resistance of cell walls and can reduce the damage.Long periods of cloudy and rainy weather make the plant's 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 so long ultimately makes the leaf stomata lose their closing function (they originally open and close automatically according to climate conditions). After the rainy weather passes, the leaf stomata still remain open, transpiring and releasing water, which ultimately causes 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, lack of light can cause bud abortion, so shading can be appropriately reduced, such as blocking 50% of the light. Oriental lilies are not sensitive to light, so 50-70% of the light can still be blocked.
General steps for growing potted lilies at home:
1. Preparation stage:
1) Growing medium: It is recommended to 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 longer than 5 cm 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 a 600-800 times dilution of chlorothalonil.
3. Planting:
1) First mix the medium and base fertilizer evenly, and water until it drips when squeezed by hand.
2) Spread 2-3 cm of the mixed medium at the bottom of the pot.
3) Plant the bulbs in the pot with the sprouts facing outward.
4) Cover the bulbs with about 8 cm of medium.
5) Water thoroughly, place in a shaded area, 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, it does not matter whether it is odd or even.
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, plant 3 bulbs4. Planting
1) Correct planting method: the bulb sprouts face the pot wall.Incorrect planting method: the bulb sprouts face the middle. Consequence: the sprouts all gather in the center, which does not look good.Of course, if planted randomly, when the sprouts emerge, they will be messy and disordered, which does not look good. As for potted planting, it is best to wait until the bulbs have 3-5 cm sprouts before planting, so that the direction of the sprouts can be controlled, making the overall appearance of the plant better.
What growing environment after planting?
For two weeks after planting, lily growth still needs a relatively low temperature to continue developing a good root system, so for potted lilies, after planting you can choose a place without direct sunlight; for lilies planted in the open ground, shade netting can be used to block direct sunlight. However, whether potted or field-grown, once lilies show flower buds, they should immediately be given light. Potted lilies can be moved to a well-lit place, and for open-ground lilies the shading material must be removed; otherwise, it will affect the number of lily buds and the flowering quality. Asiatic lilies in particular are more sensitive to light, and in severe cases all the buds will drop. Appropriate topdressing can make lily stems thicker and stronger, especially in high-temperature summer. But note that the concentration should be lighter than usual to avoid fertilizer damage. For topdressing, you can still choose a high-potassium lily-specific fertilizer 15-15-30 mixed 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 high or low temperatures will also affect 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 northernmost regions: in the later growth stage of lilies, if the nighttime temperature falls below 10 degrees, 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 choosing varieties, flower lovers should choose according to local climate conditions and their own care conditions, to avoid the situation where, just at the moment of flowering, they are frozen and all previous efforts are wasted. Would that not be a pity?
Notes:
1. The earlier mentioned idea that "you can use the crisper section of a refrigerator, wrap lily bulbs in peat (peat not too wet; enough if it drips water when squeezed by hand) (breathable), and place them in the refrigerator's crisper section for rooting, which is a good idea" - if you put them in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment to go through the 2-3 week rooting period, then when you take them out from a cold storage temperature of 5 degrees, the outside temperature is at least 25 degrees. Can they adapt?
Answer: Yes. Professional lily cut-flower producers take rooted lily bulbs out of cold storage, and the temperature inside the greenhouse is as high as 40 degrees. However, please pay attention to shading in the early stage. After budding, please reduce the degree of shading. If heavy shading of 80% is maintained all along, Asiatic lilies may abort their buds due to lack of light.
2. How to handle the 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 soil. During 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 manage them; the next year they will grow out nicely, year after year, and more and more small lilies will appear.
3. Posting a few pictures of professionally grown potted lilies from abroad★How to grow potted 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 on the outside of tulip bulbs. Before they are planted in soil, they must be stored at a constant temperature of 2 degrees; otherwise, they will quickly develop roots and are also prone to rot. Therefore, after buying lily bulbs from the market, we must plant them as soon as possible and must not leave them for long.
I. Prepare the bulbs
The top is the sprout, and the bottom is the root. Do not put them upside down! Some bulbs have not yet grown roots; look for the scales opening upward, and that is the sprout!
Before planting, the bulbs should first be disinfected. Soak them in a 1000 times solution of imported carbendazim for 20 minutes, rinse with clean water, and plant after drying.II. 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 cacti and succulents. In any case, do not use clay.
Because lilies are bulb flowers with two layers of roots, the container chosen should be a relatively deep pot.III. Planting
First put 10-15 cm of soil into 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 pot, that is, tilt them 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.IV. Care
Water: Keep the soil moist. From just having buds to the flowering period, spraying water twice a day, morning and evening, is enough. In addition, water twice a month with a 1000 times solution of imported carbendazim.
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 easily occurs 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.
Using root treatment before planting is beneficial to root development and the absorption of calcium ions.
Peeling leaves (separating the tightly clasped leaves) just before the leaf scorch period can also reduce the occurrence of leaf scorch.
Keep it dry and avoid standing water on the plants for long periods.
Apply additional calcium fertilizer such as calcium nitrate, which can be done by root feeding or foliar feeding.2. Root burn
Causes of root burn: the salt concentration of the soil solution is too high
A. The soil itself is severely saline-alkaline, with an excessively high EC value;
B. Improper fertilization, applying too much fertilizer at once, causing the soil solution concentration to become too high;
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 frequent fertilization to avoid using a large amount of fertilizer at once and causing root burn; check the root system regularly, and if root burn occurs, water promptly together with foliar fertilizer spraying.3. High temperatures severely affect lilies and should be avoided as much as possible, including high temperatures in 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 flooding) and excessively high air humidity, and try to avoid air humidity above 90%.
B. Disinfect the soil and bulbs before planting; options include Dexon, phosethyl-Al plus mancozeb, and hymexazol, etc.
C. Avoid continuous cropping in fields of Phytophthora-susceptible crops that share the same pathogen hosts, such as avoiding continuous cropping with baby's breath, carnation, Solanaceae, cucurbits and other vegetables. That is: soil that has grown baby's breath, carnation, Solanaceae, or cucurbits should as far as possible not be used to grow lilies again.
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 fertilizer7. 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: Lilies are a flower variety that requires a relatively large supply of water and fertilizer. In the early stage, the plant mainly relies on the nutrients of the bulb for growth, while in the middle and late stages it mainly relies on fertilizer and water supply and photosynthesis to maintain growth. If the water and fertilizer supply is poor, it will seriously affect the growth and development of lilies, resulting in thicker lower stems and thinner upper stems, weak plants, and in severe cases blind flowers and bud drop.
B. Too high temperature: Too high a temperature will seriously affect lily quality: lilies prefer a cool climate. If the temperature is too high, growth is too rapid, 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, reduce material accumulation, and easily cause weak 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: If the bulb size is too small, the bulbs are harvested too early, or the storage time is too long, the bulb nutrients will also be insufficient, 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 in lilies: If the lily root system is poor and its absorption capacity is insufficient, the plant will be undernourished and the nutrients supplied for bud growth will be insufficient. Bud growth will be inhibited, and blind flowers and bud drop can also occur.★Lily variety selection and planting methods
I. Basic introduction
Lilies are hard to grow?
Actually not
I am a bulb enthusiast, and after many years of cultivation the order I have arrived at is
Ease of growing: (common problems in parentheses)
Rain lily > amaryllis (expensive...) = freesia (lodging) = grape hyacinth (messy tops) = crocus (degeneration) > lily (bud abortion and bulb rot) > Dutch narcissus (bulb rot, degeneration, slow growth) > hyacinth (bloom trapped in the leaves, bulb rot, degeneration) > tulip (bulb rot, bud abortion, one-season only) > ranunculus (in a 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 popular, 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
Most of the parents of lily hybrids actually 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 growing
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 growing of Oriental lilies
Fragrance
Oriental = OT > Longiflorum = LO >> LA Asiatic = 0
The last two, the Asiatic types, are basically unscented, 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 classic flower-shop lily scent; OT types are sometimes sweet and sometimes pungent; LO is a mixed scent of Longiflorum and Oriental, with very weak fragrance in hot weather.
1. Lily flowers are generally most fragrant 1-2 days after opening, then gradually fade; 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 an overly strong fragrance may stimulate the olfactory nerves of sensitive people and cause 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, with detailed advantages and disadvantages
1. Asiatic lily (Asiatic)
Advantages: many flower colors, low plant height, many buds, flowers facing upward, early flowering (2-3 months from planting), easy to grow, fast propagation, extremely cold-hardy (can overwinter outdoors in Northeast China)
Disadvantages: flowers on the small side (12-15 cm), no fragrance, relatively high light requirements during the bud stage, and bud abortion easily occurs with insufficient light
Representative varieties: many; most can be chosen 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 shows the result of chlormequat treatment, and the far left shows the original plant height
Actual pot cultivation cannot reach the stated 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 fragrant lily, a flower-shop cut flower
Advantages: strong fragrance and large flowers (15-20 cm), low light requirements, flat flower shape, broad leaves, bold and gorgeous blooms
Disadvantages: some varieties are spindly and prone to lodging, not very heat-tolerant, relatively slow to propagate, late to flower, and lower leaves yellow fairly severely
Representative varieties: Sorbonne (the light pink flower in flower shops), Siberia (the white flower in flower shops)
The potted effect of Oriental lily (the famous variety Stargazer), very beautiful; note that the leaves are fewer but broader and thicker than those of Asiatic liliesSorbonne3. Musk/Longiflorum lily (Longiflorum), also called Easter lily
Advantages: elegant and graceful flower shape, very easy to grow, moisture-tolerant, fast propagation, relatively poor cold hardiness, native to the subtropics, does not need low-temperature dormancy
Disadvantages: only white (all pink and yellow lines are LO hybrids; online shops 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 growing of Longiflorum, and the flower color and fragrance of Oriental lilies; 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, buds are relatively few, color fades with insufficient light, and there are relatively few varieties in China
Representative variety: Triumphator is its outstanding representative. It is especially recommended; it is one of the lilies any beginner can keep alive (often sold out...)
The potted effect of Little Triumph; note that it is relatively tall with large flowersUnder strong light and low temperature the flower color is very deep5. OT hybrids - recommended
Advantages: inherits the excellent genes of Trumpet lilies (whose parents include Lilium regale from Sichuan, etc.), has richer flower colors than Oriental lilies, is 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), and the fragrance is rich; suitable for courtyards and large containers. Commonly called Tree lily abroad
Disadvantages: often not many flowers in the first year, some varieties have flowers so large they are deformed, and flowers easily droop
Representative varieties: Conca D'or, Yelloween, Nymph; the colors cover a wide range, especially the yellow lines that Oriental lilies do not have
Note: except for Yelloween, yellow varieties generally have relatively few buds; even a 16-18 cm bulb has only two to three buds
A perennial Conca D'or; note the height and flower countYelloween, large flowers with a rich fruity sweet fragrance6. LA hybrids - recommended
Advantages: propagates even more crazily than Asiatic lilies, large flowers, some varieties lightly fragrant; this type likes to multiply bulbs vigorously and does not abort buds as easily as Asiatic lilies
Disadvantages: like Asiatic lilies, the flower shape is rather stiff, flowers are prone to deform, and the flower count is often lower than that of Asiatic lilies
Representative varieties: Red Alert, Diamond Party, etc.; basically you can choose freely with no taboos
The potted effect of Red Alert; compared with Asiatic lilies the flowers are larger and the leaves broader, the Longiflorum flower shape is not inherited, and the fragrance comes and goesRed Alert7. Edible lilies
The most common is often the native Chinese species Lilium lancifolium; the plant is tall and slender, the petals are recurved, easy to grow, but not suitable indoors
Its ornamental value may be inferior to Dutch hybrids; it is one of the parents of Asiatic lilies
Very distinctive recurved drooping flowers
Sometimes used by unscrupulous sellers to pass off as fragrant lilies8. Double-flowered lilies
Divided into Asiatic and Oriental types, with characteristics and care the same as above; they are rather like double amaryllis, while the distinctive features of lilies are not strong, they easily deform, and petalization is incompleteIII. Indoor care
1. Light
Not very picky; an enclosed balcony can also work, and east, west and south exposures are all fine
At least 3 hours of direct light, with 4-6 hours better
The blazing sun of a west-facing exposure may scorch Oriental lily leaves, so moderate protection should be used
Note that when Asiatic lily buds are the size of a peanut, they must not lack light, otherwise the buds will abort
2. Soil quality; this is the most important, and water permeability and air permeability are the first principles
I use peat and perlite, but actually the materials are not limited; as long as it is loose, airy and light, and prevents bulb rot
Peat (sphagnum peat, sterilized nutrient soil, compost soil, coconut coir): perlite (or various granular substrates) = 2:1 to 1:1
The soil near the bulb can have more perlite added, which makes it safer
When mixing soil, slow-release fertilizer/organic fertilizer can be evenly blended in; do not pile it all at the bottom of the bulb, as it will not be absorbed and easily causes bulb rot
3. Water
Except that Oriental lilies are best kept evenly moist, the other varieties are very drought-tolerant (especially when planted in the ground), so it is better to err on the side of less rather than more; wait until the pot soil becomes light, or the surface soil dries out completely, before watering
For each watering you can rely on the weight of the pot; water thoroughly when it becomes light
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 appears, be on alert
Underwatering rarely occurs; bulbs and fleshy stems can both store water, so if wilting occurs, first suspect bulb rot rather than lack of water
4. Fertilizer and bulb maintenance
Lilies like fertilizer, but use light frequent fertilization; heavy fertilizer will cause leaf burn (scorched leaf tips, dead flower buds)
If growing for only one season, no fertilization is necessary
If you want them to bloom again year after year, then fertilizing after flowering is very important, mainly with nitrogen and potassium fertilizer
Nutrient uptake ratio of lilies: nitrogen : phosphorus : potassium = 10:1:12, but phosphorus fertilizer is easily fixed and hard to absorb, so fertilizing at a ratio of 1:1:1 or 1:1:1.5 is fine.
Remember to feed lightly and often; just add a little with each watering. There is no need for heavy fertilizer doses, as its nutrient needs are lower than those of other bulbs.
Do not fertilize at sprouting; during rapid growth, focus on nitrogen fertilizer; when flower buds appear, focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; do not fertilize during the flowering period; start building up the bulb immediately after flowering. The fertilizer ratio is as stated above.
5.pH
The soil for Oriental lilies is best slightly acidic (5.5-6); peat itself is acidic enough.
Other varieties have no restrictions.
6. Temperature
Lilies are actually spring-planted bulbs: plant in spring, flower in summer, build the bulb in autumn, store in winter (for most parts of the country).
For the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, which are very hot and humid in summer, 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 high-temperature damage; lower temperatures can extend the flowering period. Among them, OT is very heat-tolerant, so it can bloom under the blazing sun, while the flowers of Oriental lilies often wither quickly 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; only then cut off the withered stems).
Common Asiatic 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 trumpet (LO, LA, L) and trumpet (T) genes can be planted year-round and do not need a deliberately created cold period; it is only necessary for winter temperatures to be below 20 degrees.
Natural low temperatures can be replaced by refrigerating at 4 degrees.
Varieties that are not heat-tolerant may go dormant 1-2 months after flowering, but early dormancy is unfavorable for building the bulb and reblooming, and do not cut off the stems and leaves as soon as flowering ends.
Leaves dropping early and going dormant often means bulb rot or seriously unfavorable conditions.
8. How to plant
No need for a disinfecting soak.
For basal roots (the old roots at the bottom of the bulb), keep as many as possible; parts with severe rot can be cut off.
There should be at least 5 cm of soil above the top of the lily bulb, bulbs should be spaced more than 2-3 cm apart, and the shoot tip should lean slightly toward the pot wall rather than the center of the pot.
9. Planting depth
Lilies have two root layers. Below the bulb are basal roots (which can remain functional for several years), with a relatively weak 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 a newly sprouted shoot, several layers of dense, pure white roots are produced, called stem roots (annual). These are the main force for nutrient absorption, so the top of the bulb must not be placed at the soil surface.
Moderately deep planting helps avoid heat damage and build up the bulb.
So the formula is drainage layer + 3-5 cm base soil + bulb + 5-10 cm cover soil. Simple, right~ The pot should be at least 15 cm tall.
Water thoroughly to settle the roots, then wait patiently; do not dig around. After the shoot breaks through the soil, return to normal care.
As shown in the picture.Here is an updated beginner planting method: "adding soil in steps - different from the old method of adding all the soil at once."
I forgot to mention this earlier.
When planting lilies for the first time, you can let the soil cover only the lily bulb and not add covering soil at first, leaving 8-10 cm of space above the soil surface for adding more soil later. Water thoroughly, wait for the shoot 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 impatient 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 shoot as it grows, so that the shoot does not emerge from deep in the soil in a crooked, unattractive way. 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 arrangements, generally withering 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 should remain; the more left, the better, otherwise what will you use to build 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 in this way is best for achieving good reblooming and multiplication rates.
During dormancy, keep it 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, the bulbs can be dug up in spring and put in the refrigerator, then planted in autumn.
Asiatic and Oriental lilies will sprout new shoots around February-March of the following year when temperatures rise.
Trumpet 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 planted in the ground with confidence except in South China and Northeast China.
OT, LO, and LA can be planted in the ground south of Liaoning.
Pure trumpet lilies can be planted in the ground south of the Yellow River.
In areas that are especially cold and without snow cover, branches, straw, compost, etc. can be used to cover 5 cm. If there is snow, there is no need to fear they will be frostbitten.
Cold resistance: 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 more organic matter should be added to facilitate drainage (the key of keys). In the hot, dry summer, water occasionally.
V. Lily propagation methods
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 divide every year or may not, depending on cultivation and care. The first five types all divide very readily.
When there are too many division bulbs and the shoots are overcrowded, you can pull them apart by hand during winter dormancy. It is very simple and will not hurt the bulbs.
Asiatic lilies may send up multiple shoots in the first year; such bulbs often flower poorly, but after one year of planting they become several plants.
The growth point divides in two, with the remains of that year's old stem in the middle.2. Stem bulbs
These are actually small daughter bulbs produced on stem roots. Their number 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 a bulbil (basal leaf --- stem --- flower).
Asiatic lilies, trumpet lilies, LA, and LO are likewise outstanding at this type of propagation.
Especially LA; the stem bulbs 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 plant's leaves, called bulbils. When mature, they often root and fall off.
Developing in the soil, in the first year they only grow one grass-like leaf, then go dormant in winter; in the second year they grow a daughter bulb and clustered leaves.
Then they go dormant again, and in the third year they send up a stem and flower. Although slow, the quantity is large.
When mature they are purple-black.4. Scales
Very similar to scale 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 can grow and can be planted separately. The multiplication rate is high but 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 trumpet lilies and Lilium regale, most hybrids either have empty seed shells or grow slowly, and 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 monocots; once the apical bud is damaged, that year's reproductive growth (flowering) stops. Therefore, never try pinching or cuttings.
VI. Common problems
Basically, growers' problems 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 dropping, plant wilting that does not improve with watering, blackening buds on OT, LO, LA, etc., and obvious stagnation of growth are all very likely to be bulb rot.
2. Bud abortion
Common in Asiatic lilies; the cause is insufficient light (continuous rain or being placed indoors). The phenomenon is that small buds turn from green to brown, then wither, and they will not flower that year. Continue to build the bulb well. For lilies without Asiatic blood, the main cause of bud abortion is bulb rot.
3. Leaf burn
Heavy fertilizer or unrotted fertilizer can 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 burn. Be careful that chloride ions and fluoride ions in water and fertilizer are low (phosphorus fertilizers such as superphosphate contain more of them, so use with caution).
4. Breakage
Handle the same as bud abortion: continue to build the bulb. Lilies will not grow side branches; a broken apical bud means no flowering that year.
5. Lower leaves yellowing and dropping
A common issue 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, etc. may attack, and 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 weather. Mold-like diseased spots appear on the leaves; spray with fungicide to eliminate them.
7. Off-season sprouting
For especially vigorous varieties such as trumpet lilies, new shoots may appear in winter as dormancy approaches; let them grow.
8. No sprouting
This is the situation beginners fear most. Fortunately, unless it is due to bulb rot or shoot rot, this situation is rare; it is often because the bulb has not experienced enough cold to break dormancy.
In this case, it can be put in the refrigerator for treatment, and planted once there are signs of sprouting.
9. Deformed shoots, double flowers
Often appear in cold-treated autumn bulbs and are related to overly long cold treatment; 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 preorders are underway in various places, with delivery from February to April.
The bulbs you buy are often fresh bulbs with very short shoots or no shoots.
In autumn, cold-treated bulbs (to break dormancy for autumn flowering) and pre-rooted bulbs (providing suitable temperatures in summer for stem root growth) are offered, with delivery from August to September. There are 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 can bloom.
When such bulbs are received, the shoots are already very long and easy to break, 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 and do not need to be taken out; water once a month to keep the potting soil slightly moist.
Those who must take them out of the pot can use a plastic bag filled with moist peat, bury the dug-up bulbs with stems removed in it, and store it in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment (not the freezer!). Take them out and plant once dormancy is broken and they sprout.
VIII. Other
Pot selection:
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.
A 15 cm-18 cm pot can also be used to plant a single bulb.
This is the minimum pot size; you may increase the pot diameter as appropriate. Do not use shallow pots, 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 has a big influence on the number of flowers; generally flowers start to appear from 12-14cm, 18-20cm is exhibition grade, and the Trumpet and OT groups can be grown to a circumference of 25cm.
Plant height:
When you first grow lilies, seeing figures of 90, 100, 110, 120 or even 130cm sounds terrifying.
But that is the mature plant height only reached after about two years of growing in the ground.
The plant height of potted lilies falls far short of those figures, and modern hybrids have very thick stems, so even with large flowers and many blooms they will not lodge or break.
(In the first year, potted plants are about 1/2 to 2/3 of the standard height.)
In theory, strong light and moderately high temperatures make the plant shorter and bring flowering forward, while weak light and low temperatures make the stem elongate and delay flowering.
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-maintenance way.
There are now many lily-growing threads on the forums, but fellow growers still treat them as far too delicate, fussing over every detail of how to mix the soil, how to disinfect, how to plant, how to water, whether to shade them or give them sun. Studying carefully is of course good, but I think growing flowers should be a kind of leisure, a calm and unhurried state of mind, rather than being filled with anxiety and worry. What meaning is there in growing flowers that way?
Being too meticulous often makes you far too busy: you want to dig them up to look every day, water them a little every day, move them here and there, and the result is usually too much water, rotted roots and no flowers.
In fact, under natural conditions there is often a lack of water and fertiliser, 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. Leave them alone and they will grow beautifully.
★How to grow potted lilies
Growing habits: they like moisture and light, and require fertile sandy soil rich in humus, with a deep soil layer and extremely good drainage. Most varieties are best grown in 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 extreme summer 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, plants only grow normally above 10°C, and growth stalls again above 25°C. If the winter night temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be severely affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers.
They like fertile, deep soil rich in humus, and above all dislike hard clay; slightly acidic soil with good drainage is best, with a soil pH of 5.5-6.5.
How to grow potted lilies? Potted lily growing methods:
1. Planting time: potted lilies are best planted in September to October.
2. Soil: the growing medium is best made by mixing leaf mould, sandy soil and garden soil in a 1:1:1 ratio, with plenty of fully rotted compost and a small amount of bone meal added at the bottom of the pot as a base fertiliser. 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 fertiliser.
3. Fertilising: lilies do not have very high fertiliser requirements; usually it is enough to apply fertiliser moderately when spring growth begins and at the start of flowering. Some growers abroad believe that lilies need relatively more nitrogen and potassium, and should be fertilised once every 10-15 days during the growing period, while phosphorus should be limited, because too much phosphorus fertiliser causes the leaves to turn yellow.
During the flowering period, phosphorus fertiliser can be applied additionally for 1-2 days. To make the bulb plump, the faded flowers should be cut off promptly after flowering to reduce nutrient consumption. Watering only needs to keep the potting soil moist, but during the peak growing season and in dry weather you must water somewhat more frequently, and often sprinkle water around the pot to raise the 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, fertiliser-tolerant and moisture-shy; a lack of sunlight and long-term shading will affect normal flowering. However, they adapt fairly widely to different regions, and can be grown in the ground or in pots all over the north and south.
Because lilies are bulbous plants, they can also be planted directly from the bulb, and need to be planted deep, to six or seven centimetres, so that the lateral roots can reach deep and absorb as many nutrients as possible. The growing medium needed is preferably sandy loam; 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, so that the medium is loose and airy and the plant can flower on time.
In addition, during the growing period of lilies the pot should be turned once a week. Otherwise the plant tends to grow leaning to one side, which spoils its appearance.
★How to grow lilies
Lilies are undoubtedly a flower that many growers love very much, and many growers want to plant them at home to beautify their rooms, but they do not know how to grow lilies. 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 extreme summer heat, and their cold tolerance is somewhat weaker. The temperature for growth and flowering is 16-24°C; if the winter night temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be severely affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers. Lilies like fertile, deep soil rich in humus, and above all dislike hard clay; slightly acidic soil with good drainage is best. Lilies can be propagated by division of bulbs, scale cuttings, sowing and tissue culture, among other methods.
I. Growing habits of lilies
Lilies are bulbous flowers belonging to the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae. They like a sunny environment and are long-day plants; day length not only affects flower bud differentiation but also affects the growth and development of the flowers. 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, and 25-28°C for Lilium longiflorum, with night temperatures above 14°C. Temperatures above 30°C severely 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, able to retain appropriate moisture yet drain well; sandy loam is best, and clay must absolutely not be used for growing lilies.
Lilies like slightly acidic soil. The suitable soil pH for Asiatic and Lilium longiflorum is 6-7, and the suitable soil pH for Oriental lilies is 5.5-6.5. Lilies are generally not salt-tolerant, and the fluorine and chlorine content in the soil is required to be below 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 carry out. Chemical disinfection uses
40% formalin diluted to a 1:50 or 1:100 solution and splashed onto the soil at a rate of 2.5 kg per sq m; after splashing, cover with plastic film for 5-7 days, then uncover and let it air and dry for 10-15 days before planting. Alternatively, 8-10g/m2 of pure carbendazim powder can be scattered into the soil for disinfection.
2. Thawing and disinfection of bulbs: as soon as the bulbs arrive, open the packaging and place them at 10-15°C to thaw; disinfect them once completely thawed. Disinfection method: soak the bulbs for 30 minutes in an aqueous solution of one part per thousand of captan, chlorothalonil, carbendazim, potassium permanganate or similar, or soak the bulbs for 30 minutes in an 80-fold dilution of 40% formalin solution; after removing them, rinse off the residual solution on the bulbs with clean water, then dry them in a cool place before planting. At some growing bases in China, the original basal roots are cut off before planting, which helps promote new basal roots.
3. Storage of bulbs: if thawed bulbs cannot all be planted at once, they must not be frozen again, otherwise there is a risk of cold 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 planting in spring and summer, the planting depth requires the top of the bulb to be 8-10cm below the soil surface, and 6-8cm in winter. 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 lily bulbs of different groups and sizes (expressed as the number of bulbs per sq m) are listed below for everyone's 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 lead to poor development of stem roots. These stem roots will soon replace the basal roots in supplying 90% of the plant's water and nutrients, so the development of stem roots is crucial to obtaining high-quality lilies. After the rooting period, the ambient temperature for Oriental lilies should be controlled at 15-25°C, and for Asiatic lilies and Lilium longiflorum at 14-23°C. If the daytime temperature is too high, it should be lowered by ventilation and shading; if the night temperature reaches 15-25°C, the lily cut flower stems will be short and the buds few, lowering quality. At this point (in China) a gibberellin solution is sprayed on the plants to increase stem length; the specific amount varies with the growing period and the ambient temperature, generally less at the early stage of growth and more at the later stage. Daylight greenhouses in China generally prolong the growing period of lilies in winter and severely affect cut flower quality, so means of temperature regulation should be added.
2. Humidity: the soil moisture before planting is best when a handful squeezed forms a ball but breaks apart when dropped. In hotter seasons, if conditions allow, 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 stem root development. Afterwards, water to keep the soil moist, that is, a handful of soil forms a ball but no water comes out. Watering is generally done in the morning on a sunny day. The relative humidity is best at 80%-85%, and large fluctuations in relative humidity should be avoided, otherwise leaf scorch may occur.
3. Fertiliser: in the early stage of growth, flowering lily bulbs mainly consume the nutrients stored in their own scales, so no excessive base fertiliser is needed before planting; one month after planting, some fertiliser can be applied according to the soil fertility. Lilies have a very large demand for potassium, and a compound fertiliser 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 harvesting the flowers. Attention should also be paid to supplementing trace elements such as iron, boron and zinc.
4. Light: light is an important condition for controlling quality, and lily flower bud development especially needs sufficient light. Insufficient light causes poor plant growth and bud drop in lilies, paler leaf and flower colour, and a shorter vase life. When growing lilies in winter in northern China, about 25-30% of sunlight is blocked by insulating materials such as glass or plastic film, so besides keeping the surface of the glass and plastic film clean so that light transmission is good, some varieties also need supplementary 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, direct strong sunlight must also be avoided, generally by shading with shade nets. Asiatic and Lilium longiflorum are shaded 40%, and Oriental lilies 50%.
5. Carbon dioxide: carbon dioxide is beneficial to the growth and flowering of lilies. On sunny days between 8 and 10 in the morning, in an unventilated shed, apply carbon dioxide gas pellets to increase the carbon dioxide content in the shed. Other methods can also be used, for example: hang a plastic bucket every 15-20 m (with the bucket 1 m 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 daylight greenhouse 60 m long and 7 m 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 only after at least 2-3 buds have coloured up. Harvesting too early affects flower colour, the flowers look pale and unattractive, and some buds will not open. Harvesting too late makes post-harvest handling and packing difficult, the petals get soiled by pollen, and the flowers that have already opened release ethylene, greatly shortening their freshness life.
2. Handling: after harvesting, remove the leaves from the lower 10 cm, then grade and bundle. Grades of 10 cm are suitable. Within one bundle of lilies, the longest and shortest stems should preferably differ by no more than 5 cm, with the flower tops aligned.
3. Storage: bundled lilies should immediately be placed in clean, pre-chilled water and then put into a cold room; the temperature of the water and the cold room is best at 2-3°C.
VII. Common pests and diseases of lilies and their control methods
1. Lily fungal diseases
(1) Blue mould
Symptoms: during storage, white spots grow on the rotting patches on the scales, and then fuzzy greenish-blue patches appear. Once infected, the rot 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 the plant's growth during planting will not be affected. After planting, the infection will not transfer to the stem, nor will it infect the plant from the soil.
Control: store the bulbs at the recommended minimum temperature; do not plant bulbs whose basal plate has already been damaged; diseased bulbs must be soaked for 30 minutes in an aqueous solution of one part per thousand of captan, chlorothalonil, carbendazim or a similar fungicide before planting. After planting, maintain a suitable soil temperature.
(2) Bulb and scale rot and stem disease 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 whole bulb will rot. The stem disease caused by Fusarium is a disease that infects the above-ground parts. The identifying sign is that the basal leaves turn yellow before maturing, and the yellowed leaves turn brown and fall off. On the underground part of the stem, orange to dark brown spots appear, which later enlarge and finally spread into the interior of the stem. The stem then rots, and finally the plant dies before maturing:
Control: a. disinfect the infected soil; b. plant lightly or moderately infected bulbs as quickly as possible, and keep the soil temperature 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 pale brown spots appearing on the leaves. Generally, although plant growth is somewhat affected, the plant can still continue to grow. In severely infected plants, the growth of the upper part is hindered, and the white leaves underground and the lowest leaves above ground 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 reinfected; if the previous crop already showed infection, ordinary soil disinfectants cannot be used, so before planting treat the soil in advance with a fungicide for Rhizoctonia control (working it fully 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 site at the base of the stem, becoming dark green to dark brown and spreading upwards, the leaves turn yellow, and discolouration begins at the base of the stem. Similar soft rot infections also often occur on the above-ground stem, causing the stem to damp off or bend.
Control: disinfect infected soil with an ordinary soil disinfectant; during cultivation, fungicides that control Pythium can also effectively control foot rot; ensure the soil has good drainage; prevent the crop from remaining wet for long periods after watering; and keep the soil temperature as low as possible in summer.
(5) Pythium
Symptoms: this type of fungus attacks both individual plants and plants within an area. The plants are stunted, the lower leaves turn yellow, the upper leaves become narrower, the leaf colour is paler, and they often wilt. In plants affected by root rot, the flower buds shrivel. When the plant is pulled up, transparent, pale brown rot spots can be seen on the bulb and root crown, or they have become completely soft and rotten.
Control: disinfect infected or suspected infected soil with an ordinary soil disinfectant; keep the soil temperature low in the early stages of cultivation and use correct cultivation procedures throughout the growing period; cultivation in boxes filled with potting soil and peat can keep Pythium under control.
After the crop has emerged, or where Pythium infection may already have occurred, a fungicide for Pythium control that is easy to spray onto the crop can be used, preferably in the evening. Spraying water for a few minutes (about three minutes) before applying the fungicide will markedly enhance its effect, and can also rinse the crop clean.
2. Abnormal phenomena
(1) Leaf scorch
Symptoms: first, the young leaves curl slightly inwards, 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 points. In very severe cases, all the leaves and young shoots fall off and the plant will not develop further, which 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 suitable, 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 try to keep the relative humidity at around 75%.
(2) Bud drop and bud shrivelling
Symptoms: bud drop occurs when the flower buds have grown to 1-2cm. The colour of the buds turns pale green, and at the same time the pedicel connecting them to the stem shortens, after which the buds drop. In spring, the lower buds are affected first, while in autumn the upper buds drop first.
Control: do not grow varieties prone to bud drop in poorly lit environments. To prevent bud shrivelling, the bulbs must not dry out during cultivation. Make sure 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 to grow potted lilies
How to grow potted lilies is what many growers who want to grow lilies themselves want to know. Many articles online are very theoretical, leaving growers feeling uncertain, so let us use a practical case to explain in detail how to grow potted lilies.
First, a brief introduction: the lily is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae, mainly distributed in eastern Asia, Europe, North America and other temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. More than a hundred varieties have been found worldwide; China is its most important place of origin, with more than fifty native species, and is the natural distribution centre 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 fine too. Nutrient soil is of course better, and for the particular, peat is also perfectly acceptable.
2. Pot This needs attention: the roots of lilies are fairly well developed, so a relatively deep and large pot suits them; small pots are not suitable! The case below uses a 2-gallon pot.
3. Choosing a location Some growers may ask whether a balcony with no light at home will do, or whether they can plant on a roof 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 extreme summer 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, plants only grow normally above 10°C, and growth stalls again above 25°C. If the winter night temperature stays below 5°C for 5-7 days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be severely affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers.
II. First, a feast for the 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; several hundred fellow growers on the forum joined the group buy!III. Planting process
First: I plan to plant my 5 bulbs in 2 pots. First I checked the colour of the bulbs: there are 2 Siberia (this is because another variety was originally held up by customs, so it was substituted), which is white, and Marlon, which is pink. Yelloween is yellow, and Tiber is also pink. I plan to plant Siberia and Marlon in a white pot, and the other three in a 2+ pot, so they will look striking when they flower.
Second: first clean the pots thoroughly, lay airy coarse cinders at the very bottom, and cover with soil.
Third: scatter some phosphorus fertiliser on the soil (bone meal can also be used instead); if you have no bone meal, chicken manure can also be used instead, to ensure nutrition for flowering.
Fourth: cover with soil again; after covering, scatter carbendazim. (I carefully checked the root bulbs and found no mould. Fellow growers who receive diseased root bulbs can soak the root bulbs in carbendazim before planting.)
Fifth: cover with soil again and place the root bulb in. You can use scissors to cut off the roots that have already dried out, then cover with soil, generally level with the upper shoot of the root bulb. Leave a gap between the soil surface and the rim of the pot for topping up soil later; this depth is not enough.
Sixth: water thoroughly, then just place it in a cool spot in the open air.IV. Answers to questions during the planting process
Overall, lilies are very easy to grow. As long as you buy the right bulbs, the flowering and survival rate is almost 100%, and the growing period is generally about 90-150 days depending on the variety;
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 cm, planting 1-3 is fine!
2. Can lilies rebloom
Whether lilies rebloom depends mainly on the first year of growing. If they are grown well in the first year, there is no problem with them reblooming in the second year.
3. Are lilies very fragrant
Different lily varieties have different intensities of fragrance. Whether a particular one is fragrant can be determined from the variety description at the time of purchase.
★Lily cultivation techniques
Authors: Zhu Yunyi, Yang Ming
The lily is a bulbous herbaceous plant of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae. Lily stems are upright and elegant, the leaves are emerald green, the flower shape is unusual, the flowers are large and brightly coloured, and the colours are elegant. Lilies carry the meaning of a hundred years of harmony, are very endearing, and 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 brisk.
I. Morphological characteristics
The lily is a perennial herbaceous plant. The bulb is a non-tunicate bulb, round in shape and pale white, formed by the aggregation of several fleshy, thick, egg-spoon-shaped scales; the stem is upright, with stem roots at the underground nodes, cylindrical or angular in shape, the above-ground stem upright and sturdy, green and smooth, with a stem diameter of 3-10mm and a plant height of 70-200 cm; 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, 1-10 of them, large, trumpet-shaped, with flower colour and fragrance varying by variety.
II. Requirements for environmental conditions
1. Temperature. Lilies like a warm environment with plenty of sunlight, are fairly 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 scorch occurs. During growth, a daytime temperature of 21-23°C and a night temperature of 15-17°C are best. However, the bulbs have a dormant period and must be stored at a low temperature of 3-7°C for 4-6 weeks to break bulb dormancy, so that they will sprout when planted.
2. Light. Lilies like soft light, and also tolerate strong light and semi-shade. Insufficient light causes flower buds to drop; with sufficient light the plants are sturdy and short with brilliant flowers. Lilies are long-day plants: with long light hours they flower earlier, and with short light hours flowering is delayed.
3. Water. When the lily bulbs are planted, the furrows should be filled to 3/4 with water, allowing the water to fully penetrate the bed surface; afterwards, when water is lacking, irrigate by running water through the furrows, keeping the soil moist at all times. This can raise the emergence rate of the bulbs, give uniform emergence and favour 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 the bulb. Excessive nitrogen is unfavourable to the formation of flowers and bulbs, and the flower quality is poor and weak. Fertilisation should be mainly organic fertiliser, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertiliser, with nitrogen fertiliser 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 and arrange the harvest period between late December and May 1, avoiding competition for the market with lilies grown in other provinces as far as possible, striving to sell at a good price and obtain greater income and better economic returns. Lilies generally take 80-130 days from planting to harvest and market. Planting early (for example before the Autumn Equinox) means high temperatures, long daylight and strong light, so the time from planting to harvest is shortened; planting late (for example after Cold Dew) means low temperatures, short daylight and weak light, so the time from planting to harvest is lengthened. If they are to be marketed at Christmas they should be planted in mid-to-late September, and for Spring Festival marketing in mid-to-late October.
2. Choose the site, prepare the land finely, and apply plenty of base fertiliser. Choose a plot with a deep soil layer, loose and fertile soil, high and resistant terrain, and good drainage for planting. Planting lilies in a plot with half shade and half sun and slightly acidic soil is even better. Lilies dislike continuous cropping, and fields whose previous crop was pepper, eggplant or similar crops should not be chosen; leguminous or grass crops are preferable.
3. Build frames and cover with shade nets for shading. To meet the light, temperature and humidity requirements of lilies during growth - lilies like soft light (semi-shade) and fear high temperatures and strong light - frames should be built and shade nets covered before the bulbs emerge, once the land is prepared and the beds are made. Shade nets with 70-80% shading are best. For planting from April to August, an extra layer of shade net should be added to lower the field temperature and light intensity, raise the field humidity, avoid or reduce scorching of the stems and leaves by high temperatures and strong light, and promote stem and leaf growth. But when the maximum daytime temperature drops to 26°C (generally in early December), the shade net must be uncovered to increase light intensity and promote stem and leaf growth. When the average temperature falls below 10°C, nylon film should then be covered again to raise the temperature and retain moisture, ensuring normal growth of the lilies and harvest and flowering as expected.
4. Reasonable close planting. Since lilies are tolerant of semi-shade, they can be planted more densely on the basis of sufficient base fertilizer. Generally, 12,000-18,000 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 (at least the height of 3 bulbs), so as to prevent the roots from being scorched by sunlight. After planting, spray butachlor immediately to control early-emerging weeds in the field.
5. Field management. After full emergence, before the seedlings grow to 20 cm, in combination with intertillage and weeding, apply 500 kg of human and livestock 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 concentration of the fertilizer solution should be dilute rather than strong; too high a concentration easily damages the roots and inhibits growth, so it should be applied frequently and lightly, once every 8-10 days. When topdressing, avoid the fertilizer solution directly contacting the bulbs and stems, to prevent rot of the bulbs and stems. If the fertilizer solution is splashed onto the leaves, spray clear water immediately after applying the fertilizer solution to rinse it off the leaves, so as to avoid damaging the leaves and plants. However, when the winter temperature drops below 8°C, fertilization should be stopped and resumed only when the temperature rises again. After the lilies emerge, deep cultivation and weeding should no longer be carried out, to avoid damaging the root system; weeds should be pulled as soon as they appear to prevent weed damage.
6. Water management. Since lilies prefer moisture, fear waterlogging and cannot tolerate drought, drainage ditches should be cleared frequently on rainy days to remove accumulated water, and irrigation should be carried out in dry periods to maintain moisture, ensuring that after a person walks through the furrow and pit, footprints remain (but the feet do not sink), the surface soil of the bed does not turn white, the surface soil between beds can be formed into a ball in the hand, and when the 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, imazalil, carbendazim-plus-thiram, etc.; gray mold can be controlled with mancozeb, procymidone, 50% iprodione, chlorothalonil or 1% Bordeaux mixture; damping-off requires first removing diseased plants, then controlling with 1% Bordeaux mixture, chlorothalonil, thiram, etc.; for root rot and bulb rot, before planting, dress the seeds with 0.5% quintozene to prevent disease occurrence, and at 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 wither and grow poorly; they can be controlled with fenvalerate, omethoate, imidacloprid, dagonshen, 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. Timely harvesting of bulbs. When the underground bulbs have swollen and become plump and full, and the aboveground stems and leaves have turned yellow or even dried up and fallen off, the bulbs can be harvested. The harvested bulbs should retain their root system, have loose soil removed, be graded and piled up, and later packaged and put into cold storage for low-temperature treatment.
★ Cultivation techniques for Oriental lilies
With the improvement of people's living standards, the sales volume of fresh flowers has increased day by day. In 2007, we introduced and successfully cultivated Oriental lilies in small batches. The cultivation techniques are now introduced as follows:
1 Soil preparation
Deeply plow the soil 30 cm, apply 2-3 m3 of peat or decomposed larch pine needles, 3-5 kg of ferrous sulfate, and 500-1000 kg of organic fertilizer such as expanded chicken manure per 667 m2, so that the soil pH is slightly acidic at 6-6.5; and add 1.5-2.5 kg of thiram or 2000-3000 ml of soil fungicide for disinfection.
2 Bed making
Make raised beds 20 cm high and 80-100 cm wide, with a 40 cm walkway left between two beds, and the length depending on the land.
3 Planting
The planting time should be determined by two indicators: the flower supply time and the growth cycle of the variety. Be sure to use 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 bulb disinfection, dress with 5-10 g of carbendazim per kg of bulbs, or soak the bulbs in a 2% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for 10 minutes before planting. When planting, first push aside about 8 cm of the topsoil on the bed 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 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 m2. After making the holes, place the bulbs on the holes, then fill back the bed soil that was pushed aside, and rake it level.
4 Water management
After planting, water thoroughly with drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation; except in summer, flood irrigation is prohibited. Thereafter, water the seedbed whenever it dries, watering until it connects with the moist lower soil. Avoid water accumulation to prevent root rot. In excessively dry weather, water can be sprayed on the leaves to maintain a relative air humidity of about 70%.
5 Temperature management
From planting the bulbs to emergence takes 20-30 days, during which the temperature should preferably be around 12°C to facilitate rooting. After emergence, raise the temperature, otherwise the plants are prone to infection by various diseases. Therefore, in winter production, use oil-fired furnaces or small boilers for heating, and in summer use shade nets or ground cover of grass to lower the temperature.
6 Light management
When planting lilies in winter, try to choose day-neutral lilies and do not choose long-day lilies, while in spring, summer and autumn, long-day varieties are also acceptable. Lilies prefer light and are not tolerant of shade; supplemental lighting in winter gives better growth. If no supplemental lighting is used, open the straw curtain as early as possible and cover it late, so as to prolong the light duration. In summer, if a 30% shading shade net can be used to block part of the strong light, it will help the lilies grow faster and enlarge the flowers.
7 Nutrition management
Start topdressing after the young seedlings grow stems and the leaves on them unfold. Apply chemical fertilizer once every 10-15 days, mixing 4-5 kg each of diammonium phosphate and potassium nitrate per 667 m2. 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; insect pests include white grubs and aphids, 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. Selection of land
For open-field cultivation of lilies, land with high and well-drained terrain, good drainage and loose soil should be selected. High-altitude cool mountainous areas, lakesides, riversides and peninsular areas are ideal locations for growing lilies. Northwest Yunnan Province, Xichang in Sichuan, the Qinba mountainous 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, the method of partial soil replacement can be used to create a suitable soil environment. When partially replacing the soil for a lily plot, 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 that replace soil. Commonly used soil media include pine needle soil, peat, fermented wood chips, 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 also 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 to determine the content of salts and oxides, pH and nutrient content. If the salt content and chlorine 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 help 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
In order to prevent the massive occurrence of lily pests and diseases, crop rotation should be implemented. Before planting, unified planning should be made for the land used. 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, and planting leguminous plants is most suitable.
Base fertilizer
The fertilizer applied before planting lilies is base fertilizer, generally an organic fertilizer with long-lasting fertilizer effect. There are two ways to prepare base fertilizer: one is to mix 1/3 of various humus fertilizers (organic fertilizer made by mixing decomposed leaf mold, compost, peat, cake fertilizer, etc.) into the soil 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 base fertilizer.
3. Planting
Planting period: Open-field cultivation of lilies is mostly autumn planting, while cold areas use spring planting.
Taking the climatic conditions of Beijing as an example, the lowest 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 highest temperature in July can reach 33-36°C. Therefore, lilies are in a semi-dormant period during this period. According to the climatic characteristics of Beijing, 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, grow robustly, and have more flowers the following 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 full 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 number of flowers of spring-planted lilies are inferior to those of autumn-planted lilies.
Topdressing
Topdressing for open-field cultivated lilies should be carried out respectively in the early growth stage, late growth stage and bud stage. 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 not timely, it is far from sufficient to meet the needs of normal plant growth and development, especially in dry seasons, when timely irrigation is even more important. For open-field cultivation of lilies, methods such as flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation can be selected 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 that slowly and continuously infiltrate the soil within the range of activity of the plant root system. Modern cut-flower cultivation often combines sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation: sprinkler irrigation creates an air humidity environment suitable for plant growth, while drip irrigation supplies the water needed for the activity of the plant root system. 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, the temperature is high and evaporation is large, so irrigation should be more frequent; in autumn and early [season] the water demand is small, so watering should be minimized as much as possible, and one freezing-water irrigation should be given before the soil freezes. 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 of lilies, the soil often tends to become compacted after rainfall or watering, which is unfavorable for root growth. In addition, because weeds have strong reproductive capacity, they will 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, intertillage and weeding must be carried out in a timely manner 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 far from the plants. When the lilies grow luxuriantly and the field closes in, there is no need to loosen the soil further.
Weeding should be carried out as early as possible at the initial stage of weed occurrence, and the weeds must be completely removed before they set seed. As for weeding methods, manual weeding is mainly used for small areas, while mechanical weeding or chemical weeding can be used for large areas.
5. Netting and support installation
Open-field cultivated lilies are often vulnerable to adverse weather such as wind, rain and hail, so nets and supports must be installed in a timely manner to prevent the plants from lodging.
6. Topdressing
Lilies are a potassium-loving crop. According to nutrient analysis of Yixing lilies at various growth stages, K2O content was the highest in all cases. The average content in aboveground stems and leaves at various growth stages was 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 was 2.16%, which is 4.48 times the K20 content and 1.59 times the N content. The seedling stage is the period of highest K2O content among all growth stages, with 4.70% in stems and leaves and 2.88% in bulbs. As for the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in lilies at various growth stages, the period of highest K2O proportion in aboveground stems and leaves and bulbs was both the middle and late growth stages of lilies, namely the bulbil harvest stage and the full flowering stage (the stage when aboveground stems and leaves begin to decline). The ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in aboveground stems and leaves were 1:0.20:1.98 and 1:0.22:2.22 respectively; the ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in bulbs were 1:0.41:1.79 and 1:0.34:1.66. The traditional cultivation of Yixing lilies uses straw mulching and applies 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%. Increasing potassium fertilizer application to lilies can promote rooting during overwintering and seedling-stage growth, 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 lilies increases, and the carbohydrates formed by photosynthesis are quickly transported to the bulbs, promoting bulb enlargement. Experiments show that applying 15 kg, 10 kg of potassium sulfate and 75 kg of plant ash per mu generally increases yield by 10% compared with the control. Among them, the yield with plant ash ranked first. In potassium-deficient fields, the yield increase from potassium fertilizer is even more significant, with the highest increase reaching 54.29%, and each kg of potassium sulfate can increase lily yield by 32.76 kg. At the same time as 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 rear" and the fertilization method of two "mainly"s, that is, mainly organic fertilizer, applied at planting time and before emergence, accounting for more than 70% of the total fertilization amount. Generally, base fertilizer per mu includes about 450 kg of dry straw, 2.5 tons of high-quality pig manure, 50-75 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer, 30 kg of standard nitrogen chemical fertilizer, 20-30 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 15-20 kg of potassium fertilizer. When hilling soil 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. The total fertilization amount for Yixing lilies with a yield of more than 1000 kg per mu 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 application rates 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 region are generally neutral to slightly acidic, with pH between 6.5 and 5.0. The results of experiments on types of phosphate fertilizer show that fused calcium magnesium phosphate is more effective than superphosphate. Lily bulbs are fresh and tender, and under the influence of free acid in superphosphate, the rate of rotten and missing lily plants increases, diseases are severe, the disease incidence rate reaches as high as 60%, and the disease index is as high as 52.5%, with a yield reduction of 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 adjust the soil pH and benefit lily growth.
★ Cultivation of Oriental lilies
Oriental lilies, namely Lilium orientalis, are one of the ten most popular fresh flowers in the world today. Because of their beautiful flower shape, bright colors and overflowing fragrance, they are ideal materials for gift bouquets, flower baskets and artistic flower arrangements. Since China's reform and opening up, development has been rapid, especially in recent years. Due to the sharp increase in fresh flower consumption in China, their planting area has continued to expand, and Oriental lilies have become an indispensable category among fresh flowers. The cultivation techniques are now introduced as follows:
I. Land selection, bed preparation and disinfection
(1) Land selection. Because Oriental lily bulbs degenerate very quickly and have strict requirements for the cultivation environment, suitable planting areas are hard to find. Therefore, the selection of the planting site is also of utmost importance. Oriental lilies prefer a cool, humid climate and a semi-shaded environment. The soil should be deep, loose, well-drained, rich in humus and slightly acidic.
(2) Bed preparation. The bed surface is generally prepared to a width of 1-1.2 m and a height of 25-30 cm, with a ditch width of 40 cm between beds. Before preparing the beds, apply 1-1.3 tons of humus soil or pig manure to each simple greenhouse (30 m x 6.5 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 proper control of 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 introduce 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/M. After splashing, cover with plastic film for 2 days, then uncover the film and air-dry for 10 days. Planting can be done only after the chemical vapor has completely dissipated.
II. Cultivation management
(1) Treatment of bulbs. Before planting, pick the bulbs out of the bulb boxes. Handle them gently to prevent breaking the sprouts. At the same time, check the bulb quality and remove unqualified bulbs such as those with broken sprouts or rot, or with rotten scales or basal plates. Soak the bulbs in a 500-800 times solution of fungicides such as thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil, carbendazim for 15-20 minutes.
(2) Planting time. In order to bloom at Spring Festival and Valentine's Day, planting should generally be carried out in mid-October and early November. When planting, it is preferable to plant before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
(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, a layer of wood chaff and fallen leaves should also be spread on the surface, and a shade net should be covered, while watering thoroughly.
(4) Make labels and records well. After planting, labels should also be made, noting the specifications and planting date. Hang two thermohygrometers in each greenhouse, one at the front and one in the middle, and keep a record book. Observe the thermohygrometers three times a day and keep good records.
(5) Points for attention
1. The sprout point of the planted bulb should point vertically upward from the ground.
2. The soil temperature should be lowered 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 young seedlings grow 2 cm above the ground, crooked seedlings should be straightened in a timely manner. This critical period must be strictly grasped; if this opportunity is missed, straightening the seedlings later 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 in each greenhouse. Then from planting until emergence, generally no fertilizer is applied, but the soil should be kept moist, to the degree that no water seeps out when the soil is held in the hand, avoiding excessive dryness and waterlogging. Especially during the rooting period and harvest period, the water demand is relatively large, and the soil especially must not be too dry. When the young seedlings grow to 10-15 cm, start applying the first fertilizer, then apply once a week, adhering to the principle of light and frequent fertilization. At the same time, select several representative plants of each specification in each greenhouse and measure their height, leaf length and width, and number of leaves once every three days, and keep good records, so as to adjust and determine the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer for the next application. Generally, in the early and middle stages, apply more compound fertilizer based mainly on 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 based mainly on 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 and 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 it off quickly with clear 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 optimal soil temperature is 12°C-15°C. If it exceeds 18°C or is lower than 10°C, it is unfavorable for the roots. After rooting, the temperature can be raised, maintained at 18-25°C during the day and 12-18°C at night. Too high a daytime temperature will reduce plant height, decrease the number of flower buds per stem, and produce a large number of blind flowers. A nighttime temperature below 12°C will lead to bud drop or leaf yellowing and reduce ornamental value.
(8) Light management. The development of Oriental lily flower buds especially requires sufficient light conditions, but too high a temperature will burn the leaves and reduce the ornamental effect.
(9) Netting and support installation. In addition to the color, shape and petal texture of the flowers themselves, the height standard of Oriental lilies also requires the stems to stand upright and straight. Oriental lilies are strongly phototropic, and those cultivated in winter often lean toward the south and lodge, so nets and supports must be installed in a timely manner. According to bulb specifications, for large bulbs, install supports and nets the first time when they grow to 20 cm, and the second time when they grow to 45-50 cm; for small bulbs, install supports and 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. At the early stage of disease, immediately remove 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 and spray bactericidal agents once every 10-15 days. D. Insect pests are generally aphids, which can be prevented with omethoate and derris extract, etc. After occurrence, spray 2-3 times consecutively. In particular, note that dichlorvos must not be used during the flowering period, otherwise it will damage the petals. Therefore, after aphids appear on the corolla, use deltamethrin or pyrethrum for control.
III. Harvesting
For those with 5-10 flower heads, 2 buds must be colored; for those with fewer than 5 flower heads, at least 1 bud must be colored before harvesting. The best harvest time is in the morning, as this can reduce water loss and the buds are less likely to wilt. After harvesting, insert them into clean water containing a preservative as soon as possible to absorb water.