Similar to alliums, lily bulbs grow into tall perennials that can grow up to several feet tall and make beautiful ornamental border plants.
However, unlike alliums which are known for their popping globe-like structures, lilies are especially known for their more exotic and extravagant blooms.
Below we have listed pictures of popular lily bulbs we highly recommend you consider growing along with a brief description of their most popular features.
Click here to check out lily bulbs for sale that have already been highly reviewed!
We’ve also provided some simple guidelines to aid you in your lily bulb planting.
Popular Types of Lily Bulbs To Grow
Oriental Lily Bulbs and Asiatic Lily Bulbs– The lilies that grow from these bulbs are the most popular types of lilies that are grown in northern parts. Oriental lilies are known for their pleasant perfume which they radiate along with their blooms whereas Asiatic lilies lack a pleasant fragrance and are more known for their ease of care and exotic flowers.
Calla Lily Bulbs– Belonging to the Aracea family, these South African bulbs are one of the most staple purchases of lily plants due to the fact that the calla lily makes for a gorgeous and showy ornamental patio and deck plant.
Canna Lily Bulbs– Canna bulbs are from the Cannacea family and grow into the canna lily plant which is known for it’s colorful, luscious, full set of foliage and flowers that are a must summer lily gardening!
Stargazer Lily Bulbs– Given their name, it’s pretty easy to assume the lily plants that grow from these bulbs are sure to catch some “gazes”; and for good reason as well! Stargazer lilies are well known for their vibrant fluorescent hot white and pink blooms. Click on the picture to check them out!
Now that you’re familiar with some of the popular varieties of lilies to grow. Perhaps you have a good idea of the lilies you want to plant in your own garden now!
Planting Lily Bulbs Can Be Quite Simple
The first things we want to do before getting into how to plant lily bulbs should be to select the right variety of lily bulbs for your growing conditions. As well, knowing when to plant lily bulbs during the right season is important. Although lilies can be fairly easy to grow, there are still some common requirements to ensure the best possible growth.
- Lily bulbs need a porous well drained loamy soil and sunlight for a large majority of the day. A slightly acidic soil of pH 5-6 is ideal as well. There are several ways you could assess your soil’s pH value. We recommend using a meter such as the one in the picture for an easy analysis of your soil. Click here if you’d like to check out great some soil analysis tools!
- You should typically plant your lily bulbs in the early autumn as your bulbs are semi-dormant and they will end up blooming around July or August during the summer. However, be sure to visit or get in contact with your friendly local garden nursery and to make sure what lily varieties do best in your area during certain seasons.
- You may choose to plant your bulbs in the ground, large pot, or in any other well-draining container that you may like.
Now for the planting steps!
Step 1: Fill the bottom of your planting hole with some organic compost leaving space for the lily bulbs to be planted at least 2-3 times their own width. If you’re using a container add some gravel to the bottom, so the compost and soil does not fall right out of the drainage holes.
Step 2: Plant your bulbs on the compost en masse for a bountiful display in the future. Make sure the growing points of the bulbs are faced up.
Step 3: Fill the ground or container with your bulbs in with compost and soil and firm the surface with your hands making sure to rid of any air sockets.
Step 4: Water well and cover with some mulch and it’s time to let your lily bulbs grow and flourish into beauty!
From Lily Bulb To Beautiful Lily Plant Ornamental
Continue to moisten your bulbs with about an inch or two of water a week. As they begin to flower, use a high potassium plant fertilizer or some tomato feed every other week to add in some extra nutrition for the lilies.
When your lilies bloom and fade, prune away the weaker leaves to prevent the plant from putting more energy toward seed production. You can add extra bloom time as well by pulling away the anthers that have pollen on them. Also, make sure to periodically replace your mulch as well to ensure extra support for your plant’s health.
If the lily variety you’ve decided on growing is tall, stake the stems carefully without harming the bulbs underneath.
Be wary with your lilies for common pests and critters that may harm your plant such as beetles, slugs, and larvae which can be found chewing on the underside of the leaves.
We hope you enjoyed our article on lily bulbs and found it useful for your own gardening purposes. Feel free to ask us any further questions you may have or let us know about your own experiences with lilies! We love to hear from our readers.