HOW TO GROW ASIATIC, ORIENTAL, LONGIFLORUM AND L/A LILIES INTRODUCTION

Lilies are wonderful flowers. Provided that some simple rules are followed they are easy to grow.
KEY POINTS
DRAINAGE PLANTING DEPTH WATER
1. SOIL
	Lilies can be grown in almost any kind of soil. The most important factor is adequate drainage. The pH of the soil should ideally be between 5.5 and 7.5.

2. MANURE/FERTILISER
	Lilies will benefit from the addition of well rotted organic material such as animal manure or household compost to the soil. The addition of a general purpose garden fertiliser is also recommended.

3. PLANTING
	Lily bulbs need to be planted deeply with at least 8cm of soil above the top of the bulb. The soil should be kept as cool as possible. Depending on location a mulch on top of the soil may be required to assist in keeping soil temperature down.

4. SHADE
	Lilies do not like full sun in the summer. Therefore try to plant your lilies in a location that is partly shaded.

5. WATER
	Lilies are not deep rooting and can easily suffer from lack of water. Therefore it is important that the top soil is kept moist at all times.

6. HARVESTING
	If you intend to harvest your flowers for use in floral arrangements the following points need to be considered:
		a) Cut your flowers in the cool of the morning
		b) Try to leave as much of the stem as possible on the bulb. Bulb growth for the following season’s flowering is directly proportional to the number of leaves left on the stem after harvesting.

		c) Use of a flower preservative will greatly extend flower life.
		d) Remove the leaves from the bottom 10cm of the stem.
		e) Change the water in the vase regularly

7. PESTS AND DISEASES
	Provided the rules above are followed your lilies should remain pest and disease free. However there are a number of pests and diseases that lilies are susceptible to. The most common problems likely to be encountered are as follows:
		a) Botrytis Botrytis is a fungal disease which under damp conditions will produce spores that can then spread to other plants. Leaves will show brown spots that will grow rapidly under damp conditions. The affected leaves will eventually die off. If left unchecked the whole plant may eventually die. Control Plant lilies in areas with good ventilation. When watering try not to get the leaves wet. If botrytis is a problem spray with a broad spectrum protectant fungicide such as Captan or Bravo every 10-14 days.
		b) Aphids Aphids can do considerable physical damage to lilies as well as spreading virus diseases. Control Aphids can be controlled in a number of ways and the method best suited to your particular needs should be used. If you are growing your lilies with the intention of using them as cut flowers in the home you should use a control method that does not leave a residue on the leaves.


8. LIFTING
	Lilies can be left undisturbed in the soil for years. However they multiply freely through bulb division as well as through the production of bulblets. When lifting take care not to damage the bulb roots or let the bulb or roots dry out. Replant your bulbs immediately