How Do Lily Bulbs Grow?

Lilies are flowers that grow from bulbs. The bulbs contain the nutrients necessary for the flower to grow. Lily bulbs are either producing a flower or storing up nutrients to produce a flower for the next summer.

Lily bulbs should be planted in the fall, before the first frost. Once planted, the roots of the lily bulb, which extend from the bottom (avoid buying bulbs that do not have roots attached) will immediately start growing, so they are best planted in moist soil. Because they are prolific growers, they need to be planted at a depth of at least 5 inches, with 5 more inches of loose soil underneath the bulb.

Lily bulbs will only grow and thrive in the right conditions. The soil needs to be well drained, or else the bulb will quickly rot and fall apart underground. The minimum amount of sunlight needed is half a day.

As the roots grow downward, the tip of the bulb opens, and the flower and stem emerge, growing towards the surface. They will seek light, so if the lily is only in partial sun, it may lean towards that sunlight. Full sun is best if you are planting a cluster of lilies.

Lily bulbs will grow and bloom with sunlight and watering once or twice a week. They do not need to be fertilized, as they get all of their nutrients from the bulbs. Lily bulbs are perennials. That means that they will return to bloom again the next year. In order to bloom the next year, however, the bulb needs to store up more food, as the lily will use most of the nutrients up when it blooms.

To do this, the bulb takes nutrients from the leaves and stem after the flower wilts. If you cut a lily, leave the bottom 2/3 of the stem whole so that it can feed the bulb. Eventually the stem and leaves will turn brown and fall off the bulb, which means the nutrients have been exhausted.