Lily Bulb Planting Method and Time, and How Many Times It Blooms in a Year
Lilies have strong adaptability and can reproduce and grow well in both the south and the north. Their planting techniques are easy to master, making them suitable for vegetable farmers and parks to develop and grow on a large scale. However, when planting, they require good drainage and are averse to waterlogging; in summer they need a semi-shaded environment and cannot tolerate heat; they are also averse to continuous cropping. Common diseases include bulb and scale rot, damping-off, leaf scorch, bud drop and flower bud desiccation. Below is a detailed description of lily planting that those who like them can share:
1. Prepare the bulbs
The top is the sprout, the bottom is the roots, don't get them the wrong way round! Some bulbs have not yet grown roots, so look for the one whose scale opening faces upward - that is the sprout! This one I have already planted and dug back up to show everyone! Both spring and autumn work. They can be sown in either spring or autumn. Under normal circumstances, a lily blooms only once a year, but with human intervention and proper care, a lily can bloom twice a year.
2. Prepare the soil
Lilies like fertile sandy soil with both good water retention and good drainage. You can also mix your own: peat : river sand : perlite = 2:2:1. You can also use soil for cactus-type plants; in any case, you cannot use clay. I use nutrient soil, which has good drainage and is suitable for planting bulbous plants.
3. The pot
Lilies are bulbous flowers with two layers of roots, so they require a relatively deep pot. As for size, I generally use a pot with a 20 cm diameter, which can hold 2-3 bulbs. Three bulbs is fairly compact and looks better when blooming! When I planted mine, I took 4 to plant, so two per pot!
4. Planting
Freshly bought lily bulbs are best disinfected before planting. Before selling, I generally soak them for 20 minutes in a 1000-fold solution of imported carbendazim, rinse with clean water, and after drying they are ready to plant. First put 10-15 cm of soil in the bottom of the pot, place the bulb; if there are three bulbs in one pot, place the top of the bulb facing the edge of the pot, that is, tilt it toward the pot edge, so that after sprouting the plants are evenly distributed. Cover the top of the bulb with about 5 cm of soil, water thoroughly, and leave in a cool place for 1-2 days.
5. Water
Keep it moist at ordinary times - that is, grab a handful of soil and squeeze hard; water seeps out between your fingers but does not drip down. Do not overwater; too much water easily causes root rot. When you water, water thoroughly; you cannot just water halfway. Tap water needs to be left to stand for a day or two before use. In addition, water twice a month with a 1000-fold solution of imported carbendazim. Air humidity is best at 60%-80%, and the humidity is best kept stable; if the humidity varies too much, leaf scorch is likely, especially from just forming buds to blooming. At home, there is no need to be so particular - just mist twice a day, morning and evening.
6. Fertilizing
Lilies do not need much fertilizer. If you are growing them at home for fun, generally fertilizing once every half a month is enough.
7. Light
Lilies require fairly heavy shading in the early stage, generally 60% shade. When the sunlight is not strong, you can skip shading, which makes the plants sturdier, more compact, and the flowers larger and more colorful.
Generally, lilies can bloom beautifully in 3 months. If your flowers do not bloom, you should check which step in the planting process went wrong.
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