Success with Lilies in Mid-America

Success with Lilies in Mid-America depends upon several specific factors. First, plant only top quality, fresh dug bulbs.

For top quality you are dependent upon those from whom you purchase and the best are cheapest in the end. “Fresh dug” does not mean cold storage bulbs that have been out of the ground considerable time. All commercially grown lilies are dug in early fall and should be planted back at once. Lilies do not have dormant periods like glads or tulips. They are not dry corms but live plants, full of moisture. If left exposed to the air any substantial length of time they dry out badly and die.

In these days of fast transportation, bulbs from anywhere in the country can reach you in fresh dug condition if they are properly packed. All reliable lily dealers pack lilies in slightly moist peat moss in plastic bags. Properly packed, they keep fresh for many weeks, although the sooner they are planted the better for them.

American growers are today producing millions of top quality bulbs and shipping them fresh dug in the fall, just at the proper planting time. No longer is it necessary to buy imported bulbs, frequently of questionable quality, which usually arrive in this country too late for fall planting and have to be held over in cold storage. All too many gardeners who say they “have no luck with lilies” have planted cold storage bulbs in the spring, surely not fresh dug ones.

The Soil Factor

The second important factor in planting lilies is soil. There is a wide variety of soils in the plains states. Most of them are reasonably fertile, but the great majority of them lack one important quality, humus. Whether your particular soil is heavy clay, light sand or average loam, it needs humus if lilies are to thrive in it. Clay soils are cold and “tight,” sticky when wet and invariably poorly drained. They should be modified to grow good lilies successfully. This is not difficult but it is absolutely necessary.

Perfect drainage is a must for all lilies. I can not stress this too much. In heavy soils it is not enough to dig a hole, put a little sand under the bulb and maybe a little peat moss in the soil. Starting with a clay soil you should make a mixture that is one third good soil, one third sharp sand (such as used for cement) and one third humus - thoroughly mixed and I mean thoroughly. If your natural soil is clay, the ideal scheme is to prepare a raised bed of this special prepared soil mixture so that the entire mass is above the heavy soil level.

In average loam soils, the situation is better but the addition of humus is still needed. Add one-third by bulk of humus and Mix thoroughly. In sandy soils use a 50-50 mixture, half soil and half humus. Humus acts like a sponge in that it holds a modicum of moisture but allows any excess to drain away.

Perhaps you wonder what kind of humus. Well rotted compost is probably the best. Leaf mold is good but if neither of these is available, peat is ideal. Break it up well. Large lumps of peat will not be of any benefit. They will just stay lumps and remain useless indefinitely. Compost is easy to prepare and not only provides the needed humus but it is rich in food elements.

In Sun or Shade?

The third important factor is sun or shade in accordance with the preference of the different lily varieties. There are a half dozen varieties that seem to prefer full sun and some like partial shade for the best results. Most lilies will succeed in either full sun or part shade. The big advantage of part shade is that the blossoms last longer.

In analyzing reports from hundreds of garden folk all over the Mid-America area on the growing of lilies, I learn that with those who prepare their soil right and plant good bulbs at the proper time, success is almost universal. I’ve personally gardened in five different states in the area during the past 40 years and I’ve been in every state in the area, visiting gardens, nurseries and studying soil and climatic conditions. I’ve driven thousands of miles and talked and corresponded with thousands of gardeners trying to solve their problems.

No Harm From Cold

Lily diseases have not been a factor with most folks who love lilies. Cold weather has not been a limiting factor even in the North. In Minnesota an amateur I know has succeeded with many varieties I felt should not even be attempted. And in the South, the heat has seldom caused trouble except with a limited number of kinds that prefer cool climates. In general, cold winters are of little danger. Lilies withstand sub-zero winters with a minimum of loss. You’d hardly consider Iowa winters mild - I’ve in mind one planting of several hundred bulbs in a home garden there, put in during the fall of 1999. The following summer the owner reported that every bulb grew.

A Nebraskan reported that out of 20 bulbs (nine varieties) planted, he now had nearly 200 and blooms by the thousands. A Tennessee lily fan writes that from one bulb planted eight years ago, she has grown dozens of bulbs, divided and shared with her neighbors. One year she cut 250 blooms and sold them to her florist. Today she enjoys about 50 different varieties in her garden.

An Iowa flower gardener reports that after five years of planting lilies in her garden, she has never lost a single bulb. A Kansan reports that with the thermometer at 103 her hybrid lilies were thriving with 12 to 14 blooms per stalk. A Minnesota gardener reported all her bulbs grew and flowered the first year, some with two blooms per stem in spite of an extremely cold winter.

Progress in Breeding

The last two decades have seen tremendous developments in the field of fine lilies right here in America. New hybrids by the hundreds have been introduced. Previously, most of the fine lilies were species and all too many were difficult because species are not as adaptable to average garden conditions as are hybrids.

Oregon growers produce their enormous crops of lilies right out in open fields like one would grow potatoes. They do not pamper them and if a new variety will not stand such rough treatment, it is discarded no matter how beautiful. This is the reason the gardeners of Mid-America can enjoy fine lilies even though their climates are not always all that is desired.

If you have not enjoyed fine lilies in your garden, you are overlooking something most worth-while. However, your success will be in direct proportion to how well you prepare your soil and how and when you plant. If you plant with no more care than you would give to a batch of zinnias, you may not have much success, in fact you would not deserve much. But if you give them your best efforts in the light of what I’ve here outlined, you can enjoy gorgeous lilies. They don’t want pampering by any manner of means, but they do enjoy having a situation to fit their needs. It’s not difficult to supply, so why not aim to give them your best?

by RM Ware

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