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Whether or not to dig up lilies for the winter is a question that usually worries only novice flower growers who have no experience in gardening. The rest know that the culture is perennial and in regions with comfortable climatic conditions lives in one place for quite a long time. She needs a transplant, but within a clearly defined time frame, so that the flowers delight with lush buds every year, they must be respected. The agricultural technology of lilies is simple, standard; how to dig up plants for the winter is described in detail below.
There are many varieties of lilies - more than 80, but the aggressive climate of Russia is not suitable for all of them
Do I need to dig up lily bulbs for the winter?
Lilies are a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant that most often grows comfortably in one place for about six years, and sometimes longer. After which it needs to be dug up, divided and planted in other beds. This flower is not too demanding to care for, so it is quite common in floriculture and is found in almost every area.But, despite the fact that there is usually no need to dig up lily tubers for the winter, there are exceptions when they need to be planted every year, even if there are no plans to reproduce them. This is usually influenced by the type of crop, its target orientation, as well as the climate of the growing region. In each zone, varieties grow that are adapted to local weather conditions, which is considered natural selection. Therefore, before purchasing a flower variety, it is advisable to know where it comes from so that you can use the correct methods to grow it.
What lilies are dug up for the winter?
If in areas with a cold climate they are breeding lilies brought from southern countries, then they bloom only if they are dug up annually for the winter. These varieties include oriental, long-flowered and American hybrids, as well as white lilies.
Every year, lilies are also dug up and grown for sale. In this case, flower growers have to artificially produce a large number of children, for which they make deep cuts in the bottoms of the bulbs, then in the spring they plant them in a prepared place, and in the fall they remove them from the ground, thereby obtaining a lot of planting material.
Exotic varieties of lilies must be dug up for the winter due to the fact that they are not particularly hardy
Which lilies do not need to be dug up for the winter?
In the last century, experts developed new varieties of perennials that are frost-resistant, that is, they tolerate winter normally, and there is no need to dig them up.Hybrids have opened up new standards for the persistence of a culture and its resistance to various diseases. The most unpretentious and hardy species are considered to be: trumpet, curly and Asiatic lilies. These varieties are well preserved in winter under insulation and snow. To cover them, they often use: sawdust, straw, dry leaves, hay, and dried vegetable tops. If the material is light, then it is covered with roofing felt or boards on top, and with the arrival of winter it is covered with snow.
When to dig up lilies in the fall
It is best to dig up lily bulbs when the summer season has already come to an end, and about one and a half to two months have passed since they bloomed. They bloom towards the end of June, after a couple of weeks the buds fall from the stems, the seed pods are removed, then the ovaries are pinched and only when the stems have dried do they begin the procedure. This means that the time suitable for digging up plants for the winter is determined by the appearance of their above-ground parts and in each region, and also, in contrast to weather conditions and the variety, it may vary.
In cases where it is necessary to dig up lilies for replanting or for the purpose of propagating them with scales and children, this is done at any time of the year. If you plan to get new plants from daughter bulbs, then work will begin closer to winter. During the process, flowers are dug up, small bulbs with stems and roots are separated from the mother tuber and planted at a distance of 30 cm.
Digging lilies for the winter begins on August 15 and ends before September 10
According to the lunar calendar
Many summer residents carry out all work in the garden based on the dates of the lunar calendar. If you believe astrology, then favorable days for digging lily bulbs in 2022 are: 1-4, 6-11, 14, 18, 23, 24, 30, 31 August, as well as 1, 6, 7, 28 and 29 September, in the south of the country this can be done on October 2 and 4. Not the best days for removing planting material from the soil this year, judging by the position of the night star, are the dates of August 15, 26 and 27, September 12, 24, 25, October 9, 10.
By region
The period of digging them up also depends quite strongly on the area where lilies grow. And although there is no single date for this, you can rely on the following information:
- in the northern regions, the procedure can be carried out immediately after flowering ends;
- in the southern regions, the heads are usually harvested at the end of September, and in hot summers until the last days of October;
- in the central regions, material extraction begins in the first days of autumn;
- in the middle zone and in the Moscow region, lilies are dug up for the winter closer to the second half of September.
A signal that the flowers are ready will be the completely yellowed stems and leaf blades of the plant. If its above-ground part has not completely drooped, then the time to dig up the perennial has not yet come. Work begins when the air temperature has already dropped to +10, at least +8 °C and will not rise higher.
Even in a warm year, you need to have time to dig up lilies before the cold weather
How to dig up lilies for the winter
Not every gardener knows how to properly dig up lilies for the winter, especially if he is new to floriculture. To carry out this procedure, a certain scheme has been developed that must be followed, it looks like this:
- Trim dry plant stems to the very roots.
- Use a rake to clear the flowerbed of leaves and debris.
- Use a pitchfork to dig up the bulbs and remove the soil from them.
- Shorten the roots of all specimens to 5 cm in length.
- Carefully inspect each bulb and, if you find rotten areas, cut them off with a knife.
- Soak the material for 10-15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or any fungicide.
- Dry the lilies on a wire rack in a ventilated place out of direct sunlight.
- Separate the children from the dried bulbs, plant them in pots with sand or store them for the winter.
What to do with dug up bulbs
It is important to properly preserve lily bulbs that have been dug up for the winter until planting. The place where they are placed should be cool (temperature from 0 to +5 ° C), dry and dark. After autumn digging, specimens of lilies are placed:
- In the basement. With good ventilation and in the absence of high humidity, lilies can be stored in the basement. In this case, it is advisable to pour wood shavings or sawdust into the container where the planting material will be placed.
- In the garage. A heated garage will be an excellent place to store lilies. There, the bulbs are usually kept in boxes filled with peat or sand.
- In a refrigerator. One of the best options for preserving crop planting material is a refrigerator.But it is worth considering that the degree of humidity in it can be different, so before storing the bulbs it is recommended to sprinkle them with wood shavings.
- At home. At home, perennial tubers can be left for the winter on a warm glazed loggia or balcony, in a box with peat. It is also possible to put them away until spring in a ventilated and dry room at room temperature, after placing them in a gauze bag.
For the winter, bulbs of non-cold-resistant varieties and those that could not be planted after division are stored for storage.
Is it possible to leave lilies in the ground?
It is allowed to leave lilies in the soil only those varieties that are resistant to negative temperatures. For example, Asian and curly varieties are not at all afraid of cold weather and begin to grow actively in early spring. Although experienced flower growers still advise covering even such varieties with humus or spruce branches for the winter, and also covering them with snow.
If you do not remove lilies of hybrid varieties in the fall, then most likely they will die. Even the warmest possible shelter rarely helps to maintain their integrity.
Conclusion
It is necessary to dig up lilies for the winter under certain conditions, when the need arises, or if the cultivated variety requires it. Many of its varieties easily tolerate frost and live quietly in one place for about five years. When the moment of digging comes, if the gardener carries out all the actions in accordance with agricultural technology, is able to follow the rules for storing the material and its subsequent planting, the crop will bloom safely in the next season.
