Lilies planting and care in the open field preparing for winter

During the summer season, lilies do not require much maintenance. It is enough to irrigate so that the soil around them is not dry, loosen the soil around each bush, remove weeds and apply fertilizers several times per season. But with the arrival of autumn, caring for lilies will be more difficult. How to properly prepare flowers for the winter season? When do they need to be dug up, and which of them can you simply cover before the onset of cold weather? All this should be reminded to those growers who decide to grow these beautiful flowers in their garden.

Features of caring for lilies in the fall and preparation for winter

Not all types of lilies require careful care in the autumn - the simplest of them are enough to simply thin out, remove weeds and loosen the soil around the roots. And you don't even need to cover before the start of frost. But varietal varieties of lilies just cannot be left for the winter. - most likely, they will simply freeze out. The main procedures carried out in the fall in a flower garden with these beautiful plants are described below.

Video: preparing lilies for winter

The need for pruning in the fall

When should lilies be pruned in autumn and how to do it correctly? Is it really necessary to carry out this procedure: maybe just leave these plants as they are? However, experienced florists still recommend to carry out the autumn pruning of lilies... The process of pruning these flowers is simple, the main thing is to carry out this procedure on time so as not to harm the plants.

When to prune lilies after flowering for the winter

Most varieties end their flowering early - by the middle of summer. And many inexperienced gardeners tend to prune these flowers right away. Is it correct? It turns out not. Not only do the cut off stems look ugly in the flowerbed next to the plants that continue to bloom, but such an untimely procedure harms the lilies themselves. After the end of flowering, life processes continue in the foliage and stems. The roots continue to grow and store nutrients for the winter, photosynthesis continues in the foliage. Therefore, immediately after the end of flowering, lilies are not cut off, but give the bulb the opportunity to gain strength before the coming winter.

Video: pruning a lily after flowering for the winter

Lily pruning technology in autumn

Lily pruning is done gradually. At the end of flowering, the petals fall off on their own, boxes with seeds grow in place of flowers, and they will need to be cut off. And the final pruning is carried out in the fall for the winter, when the stems and leaves are withered and dry.This usually happens (depending on climatic conditions) in early or mid September. Then the stems are either completely removed or left up to 10-15 cm high.

It is better not to leave withered stems and foliage uncut until spring (if the variety hibernates in the open field). In them pests or pathogens can "hide" for the winter, which will wake up in the spring and cause a lot of harm to flowering plants and other crops growing in the garden. It is better to collect and burn all cut off aerial parts at once.

Care before and after pruning, dressing

Immediately after these perennials have faded, under them fertilizers should be applied, which include superphosphate and any potassium salt... Such feeding will allow the plants to mature by the onset of winter, recuperate after abundant flowering and prepare for the onset of cold weather. These fertilizers will allow the root system to receive a large amount of nutrients that will better withstand cold weather, and will also make it possible to grow faster in the growth of the aerial part of the flowers in the spring.

The main feeding is over, but the care of flowering perennials continues. During the autumn rains, sprinkle the lilies with copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid a couple of times... Such treatment will protect the plants from possible diseases during the rainy season.

A layer of decayed foliage or compost should be added under those lilies that will not be dug up for the winter. (the thickness of such a layer must be at least 20 cm). This fertilizer will serve as a kind of "blanket" for the roots and additional protection from the impending frost. And in the spring, humus will be a good fertilizer and mulch for lilies.

How to cover lilies for the winter - how to do it right

If flower growers leave their flowers to winter in the open field, then before the onset of cold weather, most of them should be covered. You can leave these flowers without shelter if the winters in the region are mild, and the varieties are highly frost-resistant.

In principle, if lilies do not grow in the Far North (and close to them in climatic conditions), then many varieties can be left in flower beds for the winter:

• Asian hybrids;
• Martagon;
• Royal;
• Daurskys.

All of the above varieties feel great in the garden in winter, only they should be covered in case of severe frosts.

Usually, no special shelter for lilies is required for the winter.if a large amount of snow falls in the region in winter, which will cover the bulbs during the winter. If there is little snow or the winter will be warm, then care should be taken in advance to prepare a natural covering material. It is best to use pine needles, under which slugs and other "harmful" insects will not crawl, which can damage the growth points of bulbous plants. On top of the needles, you can pour a layer of high-moor peat, which will prevent the needles from scattering in gusts of wind. In colder regions, the top is covered with polyethylene or other covering material.

Video: shelter of lilies for the winter

Covering lilies for the winter should be correct, as well as cleaned on time. If harvested too early, the growing stems will freeze during the spring frost. And when opened too late, the stems grow too thin.

Digging the bulbs for the winter and storing them in the winter

But if exclusive varieties of these flowers were planted in the flower garden, the frost resistance of which the growers know little about, then it is better to dig up such lilies for the winter and store at home. There are types and varieties of these flowers that are too delicate and, even with good insulation, can freeze over the winter:

• American;
• Tubular;
• Oriental hybrids.

If possible, then such varieties of lilies are transplanted into a greenhouse for the winter or grown there all year round... Otherwise, the bulbs of these varieties are dug up in the fall and stored indoors.

Video: caring for lilies in the fall and digging for storage in winter

But not only those varieties of lilies that are not distinguished by high frost resistance are dug for the winter. Some hybrid varieties from Asian and other species are dug up in the fall to separate the babies that have grown during the summer season from the mother's bulbs. During the winter, the babies grow so tightly to the main bulb that it will no longer be possible to separate them. And in the spring, they will take on the bulk of the nutrients and moisture, which will negatively affect the development of the mother bulb and the entire plant as a whole. As a result, the plant will be weakened, will grow more slowly, and the flowering will be weak.

Therefore, in the fall, such lilies are also dug up, the bulbs are separated from the children, and then the main bulbs are again planted in the open ground, and it is better to plant the children in a flower garden in the spring, and leave them indoors for the winter.

The process of digging out the bulbs is carried out in stages:

• first, the stems of the bulbs are cut;
• then you need to dig out the bulbs from the pre-moistened soil;
• all soil from them must be gently shaken off;
• you should carefully examine the bulbs - are the roots rotten, are there any dried scales;
• then they are washed under running cold water;
• clean bulbs are placed for half an hour in a disinfectant solution (in potassium permanganate or karbofos);
• then the bulbs are laid out to dry.

And only after carrying out all the above procedures, the lily bulbs are ready for storage.

Care mistakes in the fall and in preparation for winter

The main mistakes that beginner growers make when caring for lilies in the fall:

• forget to make top dressing in the fall;
• cut off the stems and foliage of plants too early, or not cut off at all;
• do not dig out bulbs of those varieties in the fall, in which children can grow to mothers over the winter;
• plants are not properly covered for the winter;
• do not dig those varieties that cannot winter in the open field in the fall;
• too soon or too late, the lilies were hiding.

Autumn care of lilies and preparation for winter should be carried out correctly so that the plant will “thank” the owners with active flowering next year.

You planted a new variety of lilies, carefully looked after it all season, and for this she pleased you with magnificent flowers. I would like the lily to bloom abundantly in the next season, but will it be possible to preserve its delicate beauty if the winter frosts reach -30-40 degrees! What does the correct preparation for winter lilies include? Do they need to be dug up or covered well enough?

Introduction

You can hear different opinions from experienced gardeners: some argue that preparation for the winter of lilies is completely unnecessary, they will winter so well and will even bloom more abundantly, others advise covering the plants with fallen leaves for the winter, and still others believe that it should definitely be from autumn dig up the lily bulbs.

The reason for such opposite opinions is that the wintering of lilies directly depends on their variety, as well as on the region in which they are grown. So, in central Russia, you can leave Asian hybrids, hybrids OA, OT, LA, Daurian lily, Pennsylvania and Martagon lily in the soil for the winter. King lilies and Candidium tolerate winter well under cover. But how to preserve the lilies belonging to the Eastern, Tubular, American hybrids, which are not adapted to the harsh Russian winter? These varieties are either planted in the ground in the summer, or even grown in greenhouses, they can overwinter only with careful shelter.

Royal lilies and candidum tolerate winter well under cover

Hybrids LA and Asiatic lilies are usually dug up for the winter for the reason that over the summer their bulbs are heavily overgrown with babies, which by spring grow tightly to the mother bulb, drawing water and nutrients from it. As a result, the lily will grow and bloom worse.

How to preserve lily bulbs that are not suitable for wintering

Lily care video

So, the varieties and varieties of lilies that do not like the Russian winter too much will need to be dug up in the fall. Digging up the bulbs and preparing them for storage is carried out as follows:

• cut off dead stems from the lily;
• dig the nests;
• shaking off the ground, carefully examine the bulbs - dry scales, damaged and rotten roots must be removed immediately;
• rinse the lily bulbs under running water;
• soak them for half an hour in a solution of karbofos or foundationol (you can use potassium permanganate);
• Dry well in the shade after soaking.

If you do not plan to plant lilies in the fall, then you need to place the bulbs for winter storage. Another question is how to preserve lily bulbs in winter? There is nothing difficult in this - carefully place them in a container and cover them with wet moss or burlap on top. Store the planting material in a dry room before planting in spring, and cut the roots to 5 cm before planting.

If you are not planning an autumn planting of lilies, then you need to place the bulbs for winter storage.

How and how to cover lilies for the winter

In most cases, it is not required to additionally cover the garden lilies, they only need a natural cover with a layer of snow from 10 cm. But how to preserve the lilies in winter, when there is still no snow cover or it is very weak, and the frosts are strong? In these cases, it is better to cover the planting of lilies with dry peat, fallen leaves or needles. Needles are preferable, because slugs can crawl under the vegetable mulch for the winter, which in spring will eat the germinating shoots of plants, destroying the growth point of lilies.

You need to remove the winter shelter on time - as the snow melts. If you remove the shelter too late, due to the lack of light, the lilies will give very thin sprouts that hardly break through the foliage. Harvesting the mulch too early stimulates the strong growth of lilies, as a result of which delicate sprouts may be damaged by frost.

You need to remove the winter shelter on time - as the snow melts

Many experienced florists leave in their flower beds Oriental hybrids of lilies, which do not have good winter hardiness. The success of wintering these species depends entirely on how to prepare lilies for winter, taking into account their characteristics. The fact is that Eastern hybrids are not recommended to be left in the flower garden for the winter, not because they freeze out, but because they get wet under deep snowdrifts and suffer from excessive moisture in the spring. Therefore, if you are wondering how to preserve lilies for the winter, you need to make sure that they winter in fairly dry conditions.

How to keep lilies of Oriental hybrids:

• plant Oriental hybrids in elevated flower beds;
• pour sand into each hole and sprinkle the planting material on top with sand, and only then with soil;
• cover the lilies with peat in the fall;
• after the ground freezes, sprinkle the peat with fallen leaves;
• cover the planting with foil.

Video about the autumn planting of lilies

A light dry cover of lilies for the winter will provide plants with protection from frost, and the film will not let them get wet in the spring. In spring, the film and foliage will need to be removed early, the peat can be left as fertilizer for the lilies.

Their further development and flowering largely depends on how lilies winter. Therefore, try to provide your pets with comfortable wintering conditions in accordance with the specific features, and they will certainly thank you with lush flowering next season!

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Winter care

Low-growing varieties are suitable for flowerpots and borders; tall plants of various shades can be used to make an excellent composition for a flower bed. If you choose the right plants for different flowering periods, they will delight your eye all summer long.

Autumn is coming, and the grower has new worries: how the plants will survive the winter and whether they will be just as beautiful next year. Anxiety is in vain, with proper care, lilies will winter well. Use our advice, and next summer your flower beds will become even more luxuriant and brighter.

Should I cook or not?

If a novice florist asks his friends whether lilies need care in the fall and preparation for winter, he will receive a variety of answers. Some carry out this work very carefully, others will say that nothing needs to be done, the bulbs will winter just fine. This statement is partly true: nature has endowed its creatures with great vitality, you can do nothing to help your flowers survive the cold season.

You can also not water, loosen or feed them - the bulk of the plants will still survive. Just do not be surprised when, next year, instead of a lush flowering bush, you see several stunted flowers. As you take care of your pets, so they will thank you.

For those who prefer to contemplate a multi-colored flower bed, without applying any work, it is better to immediately abandon lilies and plant more hardy flowers.

If you want to enjoy a bright lush bouquet, take your time to prepare the plants for winter.

Even if you live in an area where there is no severe frost, protect the bulbs from mice and spring flooding.

When to start preparing lilies for winter?

In spring, summer or fall? A good grower starts this work already at the time of landing... Determine how deep the groundwater is, if it is close to the surface, when the snow melts, the bulbs will end up in the water and can rot. In this case, arrange drainage or plant flowers in tall beds.

Do I need to dig up lilies for the winter?

If you do not live in areas of the far north, many varieties of lilies overwinter well in the ground... Asian hybrids, Martagon, Royal and Daurian lilies are adapted to frosty climates, and shelter will help them survive severe cold. Of course, if you have a plant of an especially rare and valuable variety, and even in a single copy, it is better not to risk it and keep the bulb at home.

Another thing - American, Tubular and Oriental hybrids, they are more delicate and can die even with good insulation... Those who have a greenhouse can grow these varieties there, and if this is not possible, the bulbs need to be dug up in the fall and stored indoors.

IMPORTANT! Some varieties, for example Asian hybrids, need to be dug out not only to protect against cold weather, but also to make the plant healthy. In summer, their bulbs give many babies, which during the winter will grow so tightly to the mother's bulb that it will be impossible to separate them.

In the spring, they will begin to take in a significant proportion of the water and nutrients intended for the main plant. The lily will become weaker, grow poorly and bloom. The rhizomes of such varieties must be dug up in the fall and freed from the children, and then decide whether they will winter in the ground or indoors.

Care

Step by step care for lilies in the fall and preparation for winter:

Pruning

In the fall, you need to cut off the aboveground part of the plants, leaving stems 10 cm long. When is the best time to do this?

In the middle of summer, the flowers are gone, there are empty stems that are difficult to mistake for a decorative element.

Maybe remove them immediately after flowering?

ATTENTION! Don't make such a mistake, trust nature, which does nothing in vain. If the stems and leaves were not needed by the plant, they would have died out in the summer.

After flowering, the bulb accumulates nutrients necessary for the development of the plant next year, and photosynthesis takes place in the aerial part. You need to cut the stems when they begin to dry out naturally.

Top dressing

The lilies have faded and the plant begins serious work to form the bulb. Feed the plant, now it really needs nutrients. A good rhizome is formed if immediately after flowering and at the beginning of September, apply potash and phosphorus fertilizers to the soil, and the lilies do not need nitrogen at this time. You can use this recipe:

Take 5 liters of hot water and dissolve 1 teaspoon of superphosphate and potassium salt in it. Pour 0.5 liters of warm solution under each bush, and loosen the ground the next day.

How to cover lilies for the winter?

Do I need to cover lilies for the winter? This question is asked by many novice gardeners. And the answer is extremely simple. Cover the bulbs with leaves, sawdust, or straw to keep them from freezing in frosty winters.

ATTENTION! The best option is needles, slugs will not crawl into this thorny shelter, for which young shoots are a favorite delicacy. Mice and other rodents will also not like prickly needles. The thickness of the mulch layer is about 10 cm; the cut stems will serve as a measure.

Please note that snow is also an excellent insulation, if a high snowdrift above your flower bed is expected, the layer of mulch may be small, if the snow barely covers the ground, bury the plants thoroughly. This work is best done in late autumn, when the topsoil begins to freeze.

Moisture protection

In warm regions, Eastern hybrids can also be left for wintering in the ground, but some features of these varieties must be taken into account.

You can perfectly insulate the plants, the winter will not be frosty and very snowy, and the lilies will still die or get sick.

The reason was not that the bulbs were cold, but because they do not tolerate excessive moisture, melt water just flooded them.

If you want these hybrids to be outdoors all year round - take care of this when planting. Arrange a high bed or special mounds for plants, in the holes Pour sand under the roots, and sprinkle them on the onion on top. The entire underground part will be, as it were, in a sand bag, which will take excess moisture away from it.

How to properly prepare lilies and other bulbous plants for wintering in the open field, you can watch in this video:

Wintering in the ground of tender bulbs

You can also try leave Eastern hybrids in the soil for the winter and in more frosty regions, but they need to be very carefully insulated.

Fill the bed with peat even before frost. When the ground freezes, cover the top with a thick layer of foliage, needles or sawdust, and on top put a film that protects from melted spring water. In the spring, remove only the film and leaves, and peat will serve as fertilizer.

IMPORTANT! There is no guarantee that the delicate bulbs will overwinter without loss.

When to open lilies?

It is important not only to cover the lilies in time, but also to remove the insulation in time. This must be done immediately after the snow melts in the flower bed. If the snow is excavated and the plants are exposed too early, the bright spring sun will trigger early sprouting and frost damage. If you are late in harvesting mulch, due to a lack of light, the aboveground part of the plants will not grow and develop well.

Preparing the bulbs

You have decided not to risk it and keep the lily bulbs at home.

For points on how to prepare lilies for wintering, you can read here:

1. In autumn, when the stems and leaves begin to die off, cut off the dried aerial part plants.
2. Dig up the lilies and gently shake off the adhering soil from the rhizomes.
3. Thoroughly rinse the bulbs in room temperature water, separate diseased rhizomes and burn them to kill the infection. In healthy specimens, cut off damaged roots and dry scales
4. For disinfection half an hour keep the bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, foundation or karbofos.
5. Dry the rhizomes in a ventilated place protected from sunlight. Do not wipe or heat the bulbs; it is better to spend extra time drying naturally than damaging the buds of the sprouts and roots.

ATTENTION! Do not overdo it, your task is to rid the bulbs only of surface moisture, and the scales and roots should remain juicy.

If you have diligently followed all the preparatory steps, the bulbs are ready to survive the winter at home.It remains to properly preserve them, and in the spring you can plant healthy strong rhizomes in the ground. They will take root well and sprout quickly.

Wintering at home

The main task of the grower when storing lily bulbs indoors is choose the right place for their wintering... There are two basic rules to follow: the room should be cool, with temperatures slightly above freezing, and with normal humidity. If the latter condition cannot be met, a dry place is preferable.

In this case, to prevent the bulbs from drying out, you can cover them with damp moss or a cloth. It is more difficult to store them in a too humid room, the rhizomes can become moldy or start developing sprouts.

There are many ways to keep lilies at home in winter:

In the fridge

You can put the bulbs in a bag with wet peat and put on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator... In this case, try not to store fruits in the same refrigerator, they release ethylene, which is harmful to lilies.

In the garage, basement, cellar

This storage method is acceptable if the room is sufficiently insulated and the temperature in it does not drop much below zero in severe frosts.

Pour into the bottom of the box or container a layer of wet peat or sand, lay out a layer of onions and cover it with the same material. You can make several such rows, and cover the top layer with damp burlap.

On the balcony or loggia

If there is absolutely no suitable place for lilies in the house, arrange storage on the balcony.

Any box with thermal insulation is suitable for this, for example, the body of an unusable refrigerator.

It is better to install it near the wall of the building, its warmth will give additional protection from the cold.

IMPORTANT! Watch the weather, in a severe cold the bulbs can freeze.

Lovers of tinkering can improve the design. Install a thermometer and some incandescent bulbs inside. If the temperature begins to drop dangerously, turn on the lamps, they will serve as heaters.

Did you buy the bulbs in winter?

Indoors, not only lilies dug out with their own hands winter. Sometimes you have to save the bulbs that you got in the winter. Try not to keep them warm,and immediately remove it in the same places where the planting material harvested in the fall lies.

Lilies of resistant varieties can be buried in the ground and buried in a deep layer of snow, but this work is too laborious for winter conditions. It is better to prepare in advance for such a situation and dig a shallow hole in the fall, which is closed with a lid. Strengthen the walls from shedding, and put in the poison from the rodents, who will definitely like this warm apartment.

IMPORTANT! Be sure to arrange drainage so that the bulbs do not flood in the spring.

Fold the planting material to the bottom, insulate on top with cardboard boxes, sawdust or peat, close the lid, put a film on top and throw snow on top.

Winter care

Do not leave the bulbs unattended, periodically check their condition. If the roots and scales begin to dry out, moisten themif mold appears, dip it in a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. In the spring, inspect the bulbs again, discard diseased specimens. Trim the roots before planting, leaving a length of 5 cm.

Not only in one article, but also in a whole book, it is impossible to give exhaustive recommendations on how to optimally help lilies to survive the cold season.

It is necessary to take into account the variety, and the region of cultivation, and the climate, and the forecast for the next winter, and the soil and many other conditions.

Take our advice as a basisand watch your pets.

Over time, you will begin to understand them, choose the most suitable methods for preparing plants for winter for your conditions. The most important thing is to love flowers, then they will give you magnificent bouquets and great mood for many years.

Attention, only TODAY!

Lily is a flowering plant with a unique bright aroma and a variety of species and varieties.Their growth, full development and lush flowering depend on a properly organized wintering. The process of preparing lilies for the winter period is built depending on the climatic conditions of residence and the plant variety. Some varieties have their own individual characteristics that must be taken into account when preparing for cold weather.

When and how to dig up lily bulbs

Although most of the species and varieties of lilies perfectly tolerate the winter cold in the soil under reliable shelter, experienced flower growers still recommend digging the bulbs annually. It's all about the daughter bulbs, which overgrow the main bulb. They need to be separated in a timely manner, because they will take most of the nutrients and moisture from the mother bulb, and this will further affect the flowering process. Lilies may not bloom at all if the planting material is of poor quality.

It is recommended to dig up the bulbs in the autumn or summer, sort, carry out preventive treatment and store in a cool dry room until early spring.

Numerous artificially bred hybrid varieties have different bulbs digging times, since they differ in a different number of daughter bulbs and cold resistance.

• Hybrids "Asian" are a group of frost-resistant plants that can tolerate winter cold in open beds, but differ in a large number of daughter bulbs. The optimal time for the obligatory digging of planting material is the second half of August.
• American hybrids are a group of flowering plants in which small numbers of daughter bulbs appear and do not require frequent digging. Digging of the bulbs is carried out as needed around the last week of August.
• Vostochnye hybrids are cold-tolerant varieties of lilies that do not suffer from a large number of daughter bulbs and are excavated only as needed, around the first week of September.

Digging and transplanting lilies is carried out at different times, since the transplanted plants must still have time to take root and adapt in a new place before the onset of frost. It is recommended to transplant no later than September tenth.

The readiness of the bulbs for digging and wintering can be determined by the yellowed and drooping aerial part of the lilies. This is an indicator that the planting material has accumulated all the necessary nutrients and is ready for the winter period. The process of wilting of leaves and stems of a flower should take place independently and naturally and can continue until the end of September. It is advisable to dig with a garden pitchfork so as not to damage the bulbs.

Basic requirements for storing bulbs

Preparation, processing and sorting of bulbs

Several preparatory procedures are recommended with the dug out bulbs for their further high-quality storage in the winter months.

First, you need to separate all daughter bulbs and rinse well all planting material. Then you need to trim the stems and roots, their length should not exceed 5 cm. Next, each bulb is examined in order to exclude the presence of a disease or the beginning of rotting. Damaged and infected bulbs cannot be stored. If there is a slight damage, you can try to cut it off, and then treat it with brilliant green or sprinkle with crushed activated carbon (or wood ash).

Preventive treatment is required for all healthy bulbs prior to storage. First, they are soaked for 30 minutes in a warm disinfecting solution based on manganese or karbofos. As a prophylaxis against the appearance of an onion mite, a soap solution based on laundry soap is used for washing. After that, damp bulbs should be dipped in wood ash and left in a dark room with good air circulation to dry.It is very important not to overdry the planting material, as it will become unusable.

The next procedure is sorting. Large and medium-sized bulbs are useful for spring forcing, and the smallest bulbs can be used for planting in flower beds during the spring season.

Temperature

The most favorable conditions for proper storage of bulbs are temperatures from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius. In such a moderate cold, the bulbs will not freeze, but they will not germinate either.

Storage

The storage location should be such conditions under which the planting material will maintain the necessary humidity and receive fresh air in the form of regular ventilation. One of the most suitable storage locations is a household refrigerator or basement. It is important that the bulbs are not stored in the refrigerator together with vegetables and fruits, since most of the fruits negatively affect the lilies with ethylene gas emitted. A loggia, glazed balcony or cellar can also be a storage place, but bulbs can suffer from unexpected temperature changes.

Storage methods

Wet wintering - during wet storage, the planting material retains the necessary moisture and air permeability. You can put the bulbs in a plastic bag filled with sand or moistened peat, but it is better to put them in moss and wrap them in tissue paper. As the wrapper is moistened, it is replaced with a dry one.

Dry wintering - dry storage means placing the bulbs in dry soil with a waterproof cover. These bulbs need timely moistening (about 2 times a month) and treatment with manganese solutions at the first signs of mold.

Wintering in the open air - a place for such storage should be chosen on a site in a lowland where snow lies for a long time and high snowdrifts accumulate. The construction of the storage consists in preparing a shallow trench with a cover, the walls and floor of which must be insulated with polyethylene or thick cardboard (or dry peat). This material will perfectly retain moisture and heat. The bottom of the store is covered with a reliable drainage layer, which will protect the bulbs from melted snow in spring.

Experienced flower growers recommend placing small containers of water in a prepared trench along with the bulbs in order to control the temperature inside. If the water is not frozen when you inspect the storage, then the bulbs are safe.

Potting

You can save the planting material in another way, if you transplant the plants from the garden or flower garden into an ordinary pot, and after the aboveground part withers, rearrange them in a cool room with a temperature of 5 to 10 degrees and with good lighting. The main care is moderate soil moisture as needed. These bulbs are suitable for spring planting in open flower beds.

Wintering lilies in the open field

Pruning

Cold-tolerant varieties of lilies that do not undergo autumn digging require special preparation for wintering in the open field. Plants of these varieties are not pruned in the fall. They should fade gradually and naturally. This period can last until mid-November. It is very important that the bulbs accumulate the strength and nutrients necessary for wintering. Pruning leaves and stems early can remove this ability from the bulbs. It is only necessary to remove completely wilted shoots and leaves, as well as the ovaries remaining after flowering. Ripening lily fruits negatively affect the preparation of the bulbs for wintering, as they draw on useful substances, and the seeds are not used by growers for further reproduction of flowers.

Oriental lilies

Eastern hybrids do not like excessive waterlogging of the soil. That is why flower growers recommend that lilies of these varieties be dug out before heavy autumn rains and not planted on open beds until the snow melts.From an excess of moisture in the soil, the bulbs will gradually begin to rot.

If storage of planting material at home is impossible, then it is worth using the method of wintering lilies in the open air. True, you need to take care of future storage in advance, even during planting. For this, raised flower beds are built, on which planting holes are dug and filled with a drainage layer of river sand.

Oriental lilies are perfectly preserved in winter under a cover of spruce branches or compost and polyethylene. It is very important to cover the plants before the onset of long rains, but after their aboveground part wilts. With the arrival of spring, the spruce branches and the film are removed, and the compost is left as an organic fertilizer.

Asiatic lilies

Lilies of Asian hybrid varieties are not afraid of even the most severe frosts, but the presence of a snow cover is required. In the absence of snow, you will need a "blanket" of compost or peat, as well as of plastic wrap. Unlike oriental hybrids, these lilies need to be insulated only when the first frost appears and the soil freezes slightly. But it will be possible to remove the cover after the snow has completely melted.

If all the requirements for organizing the storage of bulbs in summer are fulfilled, lilies will reward flower growers with lush flowering and a unique pleasant aroma. The main thing is to make every effort, patience and attention.

How to prepare lilies for winter (video)