Description of the best varieties of lilies, planting and care in the open field and what to feed

Many gardeners face challenges when choosing flowers for planting. Some of them prefer to plant lilies, as they are ideal for decorating the site. Before planting them, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of planting and caring for lilies in the open field.

Description and characteristics of lilies

To understand the main distinguishing features of lilies, you need to familiarize yourself with the description of this flower. The plant belongs to the group of perennial bulbous flowers. Moreover, his bulbs are very small, since their diameter is one centimeter. The shape of the bulbs can be ovoid and perfectly round, it all depends on the cultivated variety. Their surface is covered with thin and loose scales.

During flowering, inflorescences appear on the bushes, which, depending on the variety, can have an umbrella, cone-shaped or cylindrical shape.

They form 10-15 flowers that bloom for 10-12 days. In the center of the flower bud there are stamens, around which there are petals. Each petal grows up to 5-8 centimeters in length.

The main groups and popular varieties of lilies

To date, hundreds of different varieties of lilies have been bred. Therefore, before planting flowers, you should familiarize yourself with the most popular plant varieties.

Asian

People living in the northern regions prefer to plant the Asiatic lily. Such a flower is resistant to temperature drops and tolerates many diseases without problems. The peculiarities of the plant include its small bulbs, which are painted white. Asian flowers can be burgundy, pink, or bright red.

Among the advantages of the variety are:

• unpretentious care;
• early flowering;
• frost resistance;
• ease of reproduction by scales.

Martagon

These garden plants grow up to 80-90 centimeters in height and therefore gardeners are not advised to plant them in compact beds.Martagon has several advantages that set it apart from other varieties of flowers:

• decorativeness;
• unpretentiousness to the ground;
• protection against bacterial diseases and insects;
• frost resistance.

Candidum

Hybrid varieties belonging to this group are bred on the basis of the royal white lily. Such flowers are known not only for their beauty, but also for their pleasant aroma. The flowers of Candidum are white with a slight yellowish tinge. Gardeners advise against planting this type of lily in the northern regions, as they do not tolerate a sharp drop in temperature.

Oriental

There are several popular oriental varieties that are grown by many growers:

• Askari. A determinant plant that grows up to one and a half meters. In the summer, flowers appear on the bush with a yellow center and wavy white petals.
• Barbados. A distinctive feature of Barbados is its large flowers, the diameter of which is 20-25 centimeters. They are colored crimson.
• Anais. A tall lily with a height of 95-105 centimeters. In summer, inflorescences with crimson flowers are formed on the bushes, which are covered with dark blotches.

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The nuances of planting a flower

Growing lilies begins with planting bulbs. It is necessary to figure out in advance when and how to plant them.

Planting dates of lilies

Some people don't know when to plant flowers so that they grow normally. Experts advise doing this in the spring and autumn.

Planting bulbs in spring

In the spring, disembarkation is carried out in early May, when the frosts are completely over. Do not plant bulbs in March or April.

Autumn planting

It is recommended to plant a lily in autumn in September, so that the root system gets stronger before the onset of the first frost. Some growers do not plant them in early autumn, but in August.

Selection and processing of planting material

For planting, the largest bulbs are selected, which contain the most nutrients. The processing of the selected bulbs is carried out in several stages:

• cleaning from dried husks;
• check for damage;
• disinfection by soaking in a manganese solution.

Choosing a seat for landing

How the flowers will develop depends on the place chosen. Experienced gardeners do not advise planting them in sunny areas, as the flowers quickly fade in the sun and lose their attractiveness.

It is recommended to find a place in the garden that is well protected from the wind. Also, when choosing, you should pay attention to the plants that are planted in the neighborhood. Lilies grow best around peonies.

Soil preparation

The process of preparing the soil in which flowers will be grown consists of several stages:

• digging up a site to loosen the topsoil;
• arrangement of drainage, which is necessary to reduce soil moisture;
• the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizing;
• adding chalk to lower the acidity of the earth.

How to plant correctly

It is necessary to figure out in advance how to plant flowers in the garden. For this, a scheme for planting lilies is being studied. Before disembarking, it is necessary to determine to what depth the bulbs are buried. It is recommended to plant them in holes about 10-15 centimeters deep. The distance between the bushes should be 25-30 centimeters.

After planting, all the bulbs are covered with earth, after which the soil is watered with water.

Features of caring for an exotic plant in the garden

If you do not take care of the flowers in the country, they will gradually begin to die. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the main nuances of growing lilies.

Watering

To prevent the flowers from withering, you will have to regularly water them. The procedure is performed in the morning and in the evening, when there is no bright sunlight.When watering, water is carefully poured under the root so that it does not fall on the leaves. For each bush, you must spend at least three liters of water.

How to feed

Lilies, like other flowers, need to be fertilized periodically. However, you should not add fresh cow dung to the soil, as it can slow down the development of the plant. Instead, it is better to use mineral fertilizers with wood ash and saltpeter. Top dressing is done at least six times per season.

Leaving during flowering

When flowering, the plant consumes more moisture and nutrients. Therefore, during the period of formation and development of inflorescences, it is necessary to more often engage in feeding and watering.

Pruning

Pruning of lilies is done after flowering. It is recommended to wait until the last dried petals fall off the flowers and only then proceed to pruning. For the procedure, use scissors or secateurs.

Protection of lilies from diseases and pests

The planted lines can get sick during the growing process and die. To protect them from dangerous diseases, it is necessary to periodically spray them with fungicidal preparations or Bordeaux mixture. Some experts recommend regularly treating the area with copper, which destroys pathogens.

Preparing lilies for wintering

In order for lilies to survive the winter, it is necessary to prepare them for wintering in advance. In a few months, it is necessary to strengthen the root system so that it can cope with winter frosts. To do this, at the beginning of September and in October, more potash-phosphorus fertilizers are added to the ground. Florists advise feeding the soil with potash dressings and superphosphate.

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To make the fertilizers better absorbed, the area is periodically watered with heated water. In mid-October, the watering of the flower beds is completely stopped so that the bulbs do not start to rot due to high humidity. In the fall, lilies are sprayed with copper sulfate 2-3 times to protect them from the development of fungal pathologies.

In early November, flower beds with planted lilies are insulated. Dried fallen leaves, tree twigs or sawdust are used as a covering material. The shelter is removed in early or mid-April, when there is no frost.

Transplant and reproduction

There are five ways of breeding lilies, the features of which should be familiarized:

• Separation of bulb nests. This method is considered to be the simplest, and therefore it is used quite often. 2-4 years after planting, small nests are formed on the bulbs. They are carefully disconnected from each other, after which the disconnected nests are planted in the ground.
• Planting daughter bulbs. Young bulbs form at the bottom of the stems. In the first half of September, they are carefully detached from the plant and planted in the soil to a depth of 6-8 centimeters. In the second half of spring, young seedlings will grow from them.
• Reproduction by scales. Many growers consider this method to be the most profitable, since at least one hundred scales are collected from each bulb. It is necessary to deal with the separation of scales in late spring or autumn before frosts.
• Planting bulbs. Small buds are formed on the stems of adult plants, which can be planted in the ground. Bulbs are collected and planted at the end of summer after flowering.
• Propagation by cuttings. When grafting, experts advise using the stems. They are divided into several parts about ten centimeters long and planted in a flower bed.

Difficulties in growing lilies

Some growers have certain difficulties in growing lilies:

• Plant death after wintering. Most often, this problem appears in people who did not insulate the flower bed before the beginning of winter.
• Short flowering. Some gardeners complain that flowers fade quickly.The flowering time can be shortened due to frequent soil moisture and lack of nutrients.
• Drying out. Bushes often dry out due to overheating of the root system. To prevent this from happening, tall plants are planted near the lilies, which would shade them.

Features of agricultural technology in different regions of Russia

It is no secret that climatic conditions differ in different regions of Russia, and therefore the inhabitants of the regions take care of plants in different ways. For example, if a garden lily is grown in northern regions with severe winter frosts, then in the winter it will have to be dug out of the ground and planted in pots until warming. Gardeners from other regions do not need to dig up and replant the bulbs.

Florists living in the southern part of the country have to water their plants more often in summer due to drought. In other regions, there is no such problem, and therefore they moisten the soil less often. Experts do not advise the inhabitants of Siberia to plant lilies on the street because of the constant frost. In such climatic conditions, it is better to grow them in greenhouses, where temperatures above zero are maintained.

Conclusion

It seems to some that it is easy to grow lilies outdoors, but this is not the case. People who have never done this can have serious problems in the growing process. Therefore, before planting lilies, you need to familiarize yourself with the distinctive features of this flower and recommendations for caring for the planted bushes.