If you have lilies, or have succumbed to these beauties this year, you’re sure to enjoy a spring and summer with lots of blooms (and blooms that last a long time). But, what to do with lilies after blooming? Is there some special care to keep the plant during the winter? Is it lost?
If you want to know everything related to the lily plant after flowering, keep reading because we are going to explain everything to you.
How many times do lilies bloom
The first thing you should know is that The flowering season of the lilies goes from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. This means that, during that time, it will have flowers. These can last you all those months and you may have them until November or so, although at the end of September you will start to lose them.
Exactly, although they are said to be perennial plants, flowers don’t last foreverbut they have to die to give way, the following spring, to other plants.
Therefore, you should know what to do with lilies after they bloom.
Lilies and end of flowering: what to do with them
Imagine that you have just reached the end of the blooming season for lilies. And you will see that the flowers begin to wither. What to do with lilies after blooming? Well it’s easy:
The first thing will be to cut the head of the flower. No, we have not gone crazy, but we recommend that, when you see that it withers, you cut it as soon as possible. The longer the flower stays, the more seeds it will generate. And yes, that means that you will not have seeds to plant the following year, but the fact is that the production and growth of these exhausts the plant, which may need that energy to sprout again. That’s why, it is best to cut them (just below where the flower begins). Of course, always with a cross section.
Once you have disposed of the flower, the next thing is to make another cross section to “prune” the plant. Be careful, we are not saying that you remove the entire stem of the plant. Not much less.
It is best to cut 4-5 centimeters (more or less) from each stem to prepare it for winter. Besides, that will get new shoots.
However, if when autumn arrives you see that the plant withers completely, do not panic. In this case you will have two options:
take out the bulbs
You can tear off the leaves and stems and dig up the bulbs. It is an occasion to see if they can be divided.
In fact, it is recommended that, every 3-5 years, the bulbs be looked at and divided in order to have more plants, yes, but also to increase their health and yield. You have to be guided by the roots and plants that the bulb has in such a way that each cut has it with at least one plant.
Once done, we recommend that you leave them for 3-4 days in a place with ventilation, even in the dark, and in the open air, because what we want is for the wounds to heal. If you keep them fresh it can cause them to rot.
After that time, yeah You can store them in a dry and dark place. It can be a glass jar, for example, that you cover with a cloth (inside or out).
Then, when spring comes, you can recover them and replant them. Of course, try to respect a distance between plants of at least 18 centimeters.
leave the bulbs
The other option is to remove the leaves and stems but leave the bulbs in the pot. It’s not a bad idea either, in fact many do.
Now, if you leave them in the pot, what you should be careful about is that the cold and frost do not affect the bulb. And, for this, you must protect the part of the land. As? For example, adding a little more earth, covering with a thermal blanket, or similar.
It is a way for the bulb to stay in good condition and get ahead the following year. Yes indeed, watch when the good weather starts lest what you have put to protect it prevents the sprouts from coming out. As soon as you see that the temperature is rising, try to free up that part where the bulb is a little in case it wants to come out now. But do not trust yourself, that frost or cold can come and spoil all the care you have had in winter.
Care of lilies in winter
Finally, we are going to give you the keys to take care of lilies in winter. These will be focused on the fact that you have left the bulbs in the pot and that they can be fine. There aren’t really many details to take into account, but they will help you understand what to do with the lilies after they bloom.
Location and temperature: The location may be the same as where you had it. As you are going to protect the pot there will be no problem and, on the other hand, you will keep the sunny days and the climate it had, so it will not get stressed.
Irrigation: Null. If you don’t have a plant, the worst thing you can do is water it, because it won’t do the bulbs any good and what you will get is that they rot and won’t come out ahead for the following season. Set the watering can aside to do nothing. Only if you have the plant should you water, but much less than in spring or summer.
Plagues and diseases: In this you should be vigilant, especially if moisture appears in the pot, a white mold, etc. If so, it may endanger your bulbs. If that happens, it is best to remove the first layer of soil and throw it away, place a new soil on it and watch again. It is something that often happens when there is a lot of humidity in the environment. So sometimes it is required to change the pot to another drier part. On the other hand, if they are in the ground, you will have to protect them much better so that the humidity does not affect the bulb itself.
Now you know what to do with lilies after they bloom. Thus, you will be prepared for when that time arrives and you will be able to have your plant healthy again in the following season. Do you like to leave the bulbs in the pot or take them out?
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