Lilies - preparation for winter

Multicolored, colorful and very fragrant, lilies can decorate any flower garden. That they pleased the eye and the sense of smell for a single year, it is necessary to send the lilies correctly for the winter. About the rules of preparing lilies for the winter, you can learn from our article.

Do they dig out lilies for the winter?

One of the most important questions of harvesting lilies for the winter is to dig out or leave the winter for the site? A single answer to it does not exist, it all depends on the variety and climatic features of the area. Precisely, one can say one thing - those varieties that are bred specifically for growing in this area can safely be left for wintering in the open ground, subject to proper preparation, of course. For example, the tiger lily, widespread throughout the post-Soviet space, tolerates open wintering absolutely calmly even without special shelter. More gentle and exotic varieties must be dug out, otherwise they will die at the first serious frost. This is especially true for lilies related to tubular, eastern, Asian and American varieties. Necessarily needs to dig for the winter and hybrids of lilies LA, since without this agro-reception such lilies will not bloom again.

When to dig lilies for the winter?

To lilies successfully overwintered it is important not only to cut and dig them, but also to do it in the right time. Determine that it is time to "X" can be on the full yellowing of the ground part of the plant. But in any case, digging out lilies for the winter should be no later than the twentieth of September.

How to keep lilies in winter?

First of all, you need to remember that only healthy and intact bulbs can survive the winter, so when digging out you need to act very carefully. The procedure for digging lilies for the winter is as follows:

1. Carefully remove from the ground bulbs of lilies with the help of forks.
2. We shake off excess bulbs from the bulbs, holding the bush by the stem.
3. Crop the stem of the lily at a height of about 5 cm from the bulb.
4. We wash the roots of the lily under running water, and then cut them to a length of 5-7 cm.
5. Soak the bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30-40 minutes.
6. Bulk the bulbs in the ash or chopped wood charcoal and sort by size.
7. Dry the bulbs away from sunlight at a temperature of no higher than 16-18 C.
8. After the bulbs have completely dried, we send them to winter in specially prepared containers with a closing lid, having lined them beforehand with a layer of sawdust or moss.
9. We store lilies in the winter in the refrigerator or basement, checking periodically so that they do not suffocate.

How and when to cut lilies for the winter?

Many amateur growers make a serious mistake, completely or partially cutting off immediately after flowering bush lily. Thus, they only harm the plant, preventing it from accumulating enough nutrients for a full wintering. As a result, bulbs of lilies are disintegrated, and the bush is degraded year after year. To prevent this, one should not interfere in the natural course of events and wait for the time when the ground part of the bush will die off on its own. After that The dried leaves and flower stalks can be removed, or left on the site until spring.

How to cover the lilies for the winter?

Most lilies wintering in the open, can do this without any additional shelter. But only on condition of planting in elevated areas where there is no danger of stagnation of groundwater. For other varieties, both natural and artificial cover materials can be used as a winter shelter: sawdust, humus, lapnik, roofing felt, roofing felt. Finally, artificial cover can be removed only after the danger of recurrent frosts has completely passed.