How to grow a lily bonsai? Detailed guide to daily care and management methods
Lilies are grown for ornamental purposes, and cut flowers exported from the Netherlands and Japan are especially beautiful. Lily bulbs are rich in starch, and some can even be eaten as vegetables. In China, edible lilies have a long history, and traditional Chinese medicine believes that lilies are mildly cool and neutral in nature, with effects of moistening the lungs and stopping coughs, clearing heat, and calming the mind and soothing the nerves. Both the flowers and scaly stems can be used as medicine, making it a flower that serves both medicinal and culinary purposes.
The lily has long been known as the “Fairy in Cloud Garments.” Because of its elegant and pure appearance, Catholicism uses the white lily as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, and the Vatican uses the lily as its national flower. The lily bulb is formed by scales clasped together, carrying the meaning of “harmony for a hundred years” and “all things agreeable,” and since ancient times in China it has been regarded as an indispensable auspicious flower for weddings. So how do we carry out daily care and management?
1. Light management
Lilies prefer an environment with sufficient light. Insufficient light easily causes the plants to grow leggy and bloom poorly, but direct strong light is not suitable. For potted lilies needed for the Spring Festival market in winter, it is advisable to choose day-neutral varieties and provide appropriate supplemental lighting so that they grow better, become dwarfed, have vivid flower colors, and dark green leaves. In spring, summer, and autumn, use shade netting for appropriate shading.
2. Temperature management
Lilies prefer a cool climate, with an optimum growing temperature of 10--25°C. However, after planting and before emergence, low temperatures should be maintained, preferably not exceeding 12--13°C. After emergence, raise the temperature appropriately, keeping it around 22°C during the day. When necessary in winter, measures can be taken to provide appropriate heating. Different lily types require different nighttime temperatures, so they must be treated differently and placed separately.
3. Water management
Lilies need more water during the growing and flowering periods. The potting soil should be kept moist, but not overly wet, and waterlogging should be avoided to prevent root rot and disease. If the air is too dry, sprinkle water on the leaves and ground to keep the relative air humidity at around 70%.
4. Fertilizer management
For lilies, start topdressing once the seedlings have grown and the leaves on the stems have unfolded. Combine soil application with foliar feeding, applying topdressing once every 10--15 days. Apply light fertilizer frequently, and avoid heavy fertilizer. In the early stage, mainly use nitrogen fertilizer; in the later stage when buds appear, mainly use phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
5. Dwarfing treatment
When lily shoots emerge 6--10 cm above the soil, apply 100--150 mg/L paclobutrazol to the soil to control the height of the lily plants, so as to achieve the goals of dwarfing the plants, making the plant shape compact, and improving ornamental value.
6. Pest and disease control
Pest and disease control for lilies should focus on prevention. Its main diseases include gray mold, root rot, bulb rot, and leaf blight, while the main pests include aphids. Methods for disease control include: selecting disease-free bulbs; disinfecting and sterilizing bulbs, substrate, and flower pots before planting; keeping the environment well ventilated and the humidity moderate; promptly removing and destroying diseased plants when found to prevent spread; and carrying out regular chemical control. Methods for pest control include: promptly removing weeds in and around the pots; keeping the environment clean; and spraying chemicals when necessary.
Commonly used chemicals include: carbendazim, chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, dimethoate emulsion, deltamethrin, and others. Read the instructions carefully before use.