Lily Growing Guide

Planting bulbs

• Plant in fall for spring/summer bloom the following year, or early spring if fall planting was missed
• Plant 4–6 inches deep (about three times the bulb's height) and 8–12 inches apart
• Lilies want 'hot heads and cool feet' — full sun for the flowers, but shaded, mulched, or covered soil at the base
• Choose well-drained soil; lily bulbs rot quickly in soil that stays wet

Watering & feeding

• Water regularly through active growth and bloom, especially in dry spells
• Feed with a balanced or bulb-specific fertilizer in spring as growth emerges, and again after bloom to support the bulb for next year
• Mulch to keep roots cool and conserve moisture, which also helps with the shaded-root preference

Staking tall varieties

• Taller Oriental and trumpet lilies (3–6 ft) often need staking, especially in windy or exposed spots
• Insert a stake early in the season, before the plant is tall, to avoid damaging the bulb later
• Loosely tie the stem with soft garden twine, allowing some natural movement

After blooming

• Deadhead spent flowers by snapping off just the flower, leaving the stem and leaves intact
• Do not cut the stem back until foliage yellows naturally in fall — the leaves feed the bulb for next year's bloom
• Cutting the stem too short right after flowering is one of the most common reasons a lily blooms poorly the following year

Common problems

• Bright red beetles and sticky black larvae on leaves: red lily beetle, an increasingly common Canadian pest — hand-pick adults and check leaf undersides for eggs regularly starting in spring
• Bulb rot: almost always poor drainage — improve soil or move to a raised bed next season
• Fewer, smaller blooms year over year: often the stem was cut back too early after a previous bloom, or the clump needs dividing
• Botrytis (grey mould, especially in Oriental lilies): improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering

Frequently asked questions