How to care for lilies after they finish blooming

Lilies not only produce large, showy blooms, but their leaves are also glossy green and broad. Their flowers in particular symbolize purity and good fortune, giving people a feeling of extraordinary elegance. But many growers simply throw them away once the lilies have finished blooming, and that is really a waste of material.

Lilies usually bloom once a year. To encourage blooming, we can give them a pruning treatment in advance. Proper pruning can save some nutrients and direct them to the bulb, which lets the bulb develop more fully and store more nutrients.

During the blooming period, lilies consume a lot of nutrients, and those nutrients are mostly supplied through the bulb. Because the plant uses up a large amount of nutrients while flowering, the bulb has very few nutrients left after blooming. Many growers simply throw it away, but that is not the right approach.

That is because the lily bulb still has the ability to regenerate after blooming. We only need to dig the bulb out of the pot, trim and clean up the residual roots, and then store it in sand or keep it in a cool, ventilated place. At the same time, keep the bulb moist regularly and provide shade. When autumn comes, replant these bulbs.

In autumn the temperature gradually drops, and once the weather turns cool, the lily bulb gradually regains its growing vitality, begins to sprout and grows stems and leaves. But since its bulb is fairly large, it is best to use a larger pot, and the soil should be fertile, loose, and highly breathable and draining. That way, the newly sprouted plant will gradually grow bigger.

Lily bulbs also have the ability to produce offsets; as the mother plant grows, it will produce quite a few small bulbs. During normal care, just give a little water when the potting soil is very dry. Never flood them with water, or the bulb will easily rot. Also take measures to keep off the rain and avoid water accumulating in the pot.

When they sprout in autumn and winter, to keep the plant growing vigorously, it is best to give it a little fertilizer in time. With sufficient nutrients and water, we can then simply wait for it to bloom abundantly the following year! So you can see that after lilies finish blooming, the bulbs need to be dug up and stored, and they can be planted again in autumn.