How to Keep Asiatic Lilies Blooming
How to Keep Asiatic Lilies Blooming. Asiatic lilies are naturally prolific, long season bloomers. The key to getting the best performance out of them is a regimen of good cultural practices. Asiatic lilies require bright sunlight, well-draining soil, ample water and regular feedings of granular bulb fertilizer. Deadheading spent blooms and removing...
Asiatic lilies are naturally prolific, long season bloomers. The key to getting the best performance out of them is a regimen of good cultural practices. Asiatic lilies require bright sunlight, well-draining soil, ample water and regular feedings of granular bulb fertilizer. Deadheading spent blooms and removing the pollen sacs can also extend bloom life both on the plant and when harvested for use in cut flower arrangements.
Things You'll Need
Secateurs or scissors
Facial tissue
Bulb fertilizer
Water
Water your Asiatic lilies well so that they will not ever feel drought stress which can impact bloom performance. Maintain evenly moist but never soaking wet soil and never allow the soil to dry out beyond the surface 1/2-inch or so.
Feed your Asiatic lilies in the spring and summer with a granular bulb fertilizer over moist soil in a dose recommended on the product label. Water the fertilizer in well to begin the percolation of nutrients into the soil.
Remove the pollen sacs from the tips of the anthers just when the lily bloom begins to open. Reach into the bloom with your thumb, forefinger and middle finger and pull them out and discard them. When the bloom is not fully open the sacs can be handled without staining. Once the bloom has opened the pollen will begin to be revealed and you can use a facial tissue over your finger tips to prevent staining.
Dead head spend lily flowers on the stalk as they fade. Most Asiatic lilies will produce multiple blooms per stalk up to six or more. As each flower begins to shrink and die back snip off the short flower stem and faded bloom head and discard it.
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