Planting Asiatic Lily Bulbs

These are my favorite flowers next to daylilies which aren t really lilies at all.

Planting asiatic lily bulbs.

Plant bulbs as soon as you bring them home. Asiatic lily plants prefer an acidic soil. Plant asiatic lily bulbs in early spring or fall before frost in well drained fertile soil. Apply organic material several inches over the planting zone to insulate the bulbs for winter.

As a general rule lily bulbs may be planted in the fall or early spring. Lilies look best in clumps. However if you consider that asiatic lilies will tend to flower in early summer you may miss your window for achieving blooms the first season if you wait to plant until early spring. When planting bulbs place them 12 to 18 inches 30 to 45 cm apart and 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm deep in full or partial sun.

Plant your lily bulbs in spring or fall. With their upward facing flowers they bloom early to midsummer. Plant these bulbs in fall a few weeks before the winter brings freezing temperatures. To achieve the effect plant bulbs in groups of 3 or more.

This allows the plants to develop a good root system. Plant bulbs as soon after purchasing as possible. Bulbs of the asiatic lily must have the winter chill to produce big blooms. Asiatic lily bulbs will dry out quickly since they lack a paper like covering called a tunic.

Hardy in zones 4 to 9 asiatic lilies come in pure white pink vivid yellow orange and red. I love to walk in the garden and see the new blooms and my garden just wouldn t be complete without them. Asiatic lilies are the earliest to bloom and the easiest to grow. Adding organic matter will help improve the soil.

Plant the larger bulbs under 5 to 6 inches 13 15 cm of soil while the baby bulblets should be planted under just a few inches 8 cm of soil. The asiatic lily with its wide variety of heights and colors is the earliest to bloom. Trumpet lilies with large bulbs such as lilium regale or lilium pink perfection need to be planted more deeply 6 8 in. Asiatic lilies are some of the most beautiful flowers that you can grow.

With some careful planning you can enjoy lilies all summer long by planting bulbs from different varieties. Once the soil is prepared you can begin planting the bulbs of the asiatic lilies. However the bulbs of asiatic lilies will happily grow in neutral or slightly alkaline soils. Plant bulbs in the fall and avoid storing them.

To accommodate their huge flowers you need to provide plenty of space and plant them at least 15 in. Large or specimen bulbs can be purchased from lily growers or bags of bulbs from garden centers can be used for massing. Planting in the fall will keep plants in a normal blooming cycle. Knowing when the hybrid types bloom provides a key to optimum planting times.