When choosing a Lily, its name is a secondary matter, the key is the group to which this or that variety belongs. Belonging to a certain group and dictates the specifics of agricultural technology. Knowing which group the variety belongs to, you can understand what requirements it imposes on the gardener, how to care for it, because often the conditions for growing lilies of different varieties are directly opposite.
When planting Lily bulbs in your garden, you should first answer a number of questions:
- Where to plant?
- How to plant?
- When to plant?
- With what plant?
Where to plant
The answer to the first question will be clear: it is necessary to have lilies in a Sunny flower garden, this plant does not tolerate shading. The place should be well ventilated, but be protected from strong winds.
Choosing a place for planting, we must remember that different groups of lilies will successfully develop only on a certain type of soil. It is known that “Asians” prefer slightly acidic soil, Tubular hybrids – neutral soils, Eastern lilies and Martagons grow exclusively on acidic, and snow-white hybrids – on alkaline soils.
The place where you plant the bulbs should not be flooded with melt and rain water. It is best if it is a raised bed or flower bed. It should be known that lilies can not be planted where tulips or gladiolus used to grow, because they have the same pathogens. Generally good predecessors for lilies are considered marigolds, which are very healthy soil.
How to plant
If you take out the requirements of individual groups of lilies to the type of soil, the rest of the rules of agricultural engineering are almost the same. Under the planting of Asian and Eastern hybrids, it is necessary to make a peat-compost mixture, under Tubular lilies, it is good to add wood ash, bone flour and lime (1 Cup per m²). For Martagon will require the introduction of peat. Other groups develop well on neutral soils.
The depth of planting bulbs with “real” roots is 3 height bulbs. Bulbs varieties that have stem roots, buried deeper — to the level of aerial roots. Deeper planting is even preferable, as in this case protects the plant from freezing in the autumn.
In the spring of deeply planted bulbs slowly vegetate that rescues the growth buds from the return of frost. In the summer, the bulbs are planted at a sufficient depth, do not lack moisture. After planting, mulching with compost or peat is necessary to maintain optimal soil moisture and temperature.
Before planting bulbs should be etched in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This will help prevent rot and other diseases. During the landing to sprinkle already sitting in the not yet backfilled the hole onion wood ashes. Under the Below you should be sprinkled with fine clean river sand, they also fall asleep and the bulb itself to the neck, and then the ground.
Fertilization
To prepare the space for the lilies on 1 m2 add a bucket of peat and leaf humus, 4 cups of wood ash, 100 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate. With well-seasoned organic soil fertilizing for lilies should be predominantly mineral according to the usual scheme:
- in the spring 2 times with an interval of 2 weeks during the growth of stems with a predominance of nitrogen fertilizers with the addition of trace elements;
- in the second half of the summer during budding would be preferable to potassium supplements.
During flowering, feeding is stopped. Towards the end of July and early August provide a comprehensive fertilizer.
When to plant
There is no clear answer to this question. According to the rules, it is recommended to bury new bulbs and divide the old nests from late August to mid-September. However, in early rainy and cold autumn, such bulbs can not take root and rot safely. In addition, in the winter, the bulbs may become the prey of mice, to which they are a favorite delicacy.
To avoid this, the snow at the place of planting lilies need to trample, and the bulbs are particularly valuable varieties planted in special plastic containers — such small baskets can be found in the departments of plants for water bodies. You can make them yourself from the grid, which is usually Packed in supermarkets vegetables.
An alternative may be the spring planting, usually at this time in the garden centers offer Lily bulbs at bargain prices. However, we must not forget where there is free cheese. The quality of bulbs bought in spring leaves much to be desired. They are usually sluggish, dried, with spots of diseases or other defects. The survival rate of such planting material is very low.
My garden practice has proved that the best time to plant lilies, paradoxically sounds – summer, flowering season. Usually I buy plants in the market or plants in pots with buds that are about to bloom or already in bloom, in the garden centers. In the first case, the product, that is, a Lily, is shown by a person, you have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the flower, its aroma, the height of the plant.
The name of the variety is written on the pots, and if you still know the group to which this or that variety belongs, you can judge the specifics of agricultural machinery. The survival of such lilies, as experience has shown, is one hundred percent, they will not notice how they will find themselves in someone else’s garden. Moreover, with this Lily can “play”, attaching it to the flower beds and achieving maximum color harmony.
Some gardeners arrange for the planting of particularly valuable varieties of lilies, especially Eastern hybrids, drainage, pouring rubble and sand on the bottom of the pit.
What to plant
Answering this question, I will definitely say — next to those plants that, firstly, bloom with lilies at the same time; secondly, where flowers grow with similar environmental requirements for lighting conditions and soil type. And thirdly, in the company of those plants that favorably emphasize the Regal beauty of these flowers. The lilies, as you know, lush, showy flowered top and slightly leafy bottom, so they need partners who would be compensated.
As such comrades are good Phlox, which bloom with lilies at about the same time. The modern choice of Phlox allows you to choose among them neighbors to almost any, even difficult colored lilies.
An excellent neighbor will be Echinacea purpurea or Achillea millefolium, hybrid varieties of which have different colors, you can choose the tone in tone or on the principle of contrast.
Good in the company of lilies and astilbes with their delicate panicles.
Next to the Royal flowers are also extremely appropriate and garden geraniums. Their bushes, covered with small unassuming flowers of pink, purple, blue or white color, like “foam”, will cover the “feet” of lilies.
Not bad with lilies combined and other ornamental plants with small flowers: Achillea ptarmica.
Look great yellow and white varieties of lilies on the background of blue delphiniums, and purple and pink – next to the white varieties.
Well together with lilies to plant, white Campanula, Leucanthemum. “Legs” will cover the cuff or any annual flowering plants — ageratum, Antirrhinum, Reseda.
It is not necessary to plant lilies next to daylilies, who obviously lose this competition. And, of course, with roses, despite the opinion that this is a classic neighborhood. Lilies, of course, suitable fertile land of the rose garden and the opportunity to winter with roses in the shelter (this is especially true for the Eastern and OT-hybrids). But they are harmed by the presence of manure, which usually mulch roses. And in decorative terms, these cultures will argue. In addition, the strong suffocating smell of many varieties of lilies completely clogs the delicate aroma of roses.
It is also impractical to plant a number of fragrant varieties of lilies, which will compete with each other, creating sometimes unbearable perfume combinations. Not the best neighbors for lilies and peonies for the same reason as roses. They are also usually fed with mullein, which is strictly contraindicated lilies.
Excessive decorative lilies contraindicated flower beds in natural style. There it is better to use the martagons, where they will look more organically than in a conventional mixborder or flowerbed.
By answering 4 important questions, you will have a clear idea of where your site can grow lilies that need to be prepared before the planting process, when in your case should be planted this wonderful plant and what neighbors to choose for him. Having done everything right, you will get rid of disappointments and get wonderful healthy flowers.
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