Ask Lil E Um - continued

Ask Lil E. Um part II

Do you have unanswered questions about the genus Lilium? We’ll help you find the answers. Just Contact Us to send your inquiry. Be sure to reference “Ask Lil E. Um” and we’ll find a lily expert with the best advice.

Part I Part III Part IV Part V

Message:

broken lily stem I have a number of Asiatics that have broken off during bloom that I thought was from wind. On closer inspection, there is a granular white material (stem?) and the stem is hollow. My Orientals aren't looking very good either, but that looks more like fungus. Is there a lily borer in Minnesota? Are my bulbs at risk? I really can't find any information about this problem and need a pretty quick answer, if that is possible. I have photos of the stems if that would be helpful.

I think we may have found the critter. Stalk borer?? A vacant lot behind us was excavated in June to build a house. I think they may have migrated to my yard and found paydirt. Anyway, here are the photos. Would appreciate your thoughts. It really looks serious out there. Thanks much for a quick response.

I'm in Spring Park out by Mound/Lake Minnetonka.

Connie

Lil emailed NSLS member Franci Nelson, who has one of the largest lily gardens among society members.

Hi Connie,

From what I can see in the picture it looks like corn borer. We have had it in a few stems in the past and unfortunately you have to just dig the whole thing, stem and bulb, and put it in the garbage...do not compost it!! To my knowledge there is not really anything else you can do to prevent this, it just picked a few of your lilies to feed on and lay their eggs.

Corn borer is everywhere just like the iris borer and for what ever reason it also on occasion likes the stems of lilies. We have not had a reoccurrence in our garden for a couple years so I wouldn't be worried that you are being inundated with this problem.

I hope this answers your question.

Franci Nelson

We have received two questions from gardeners growing lilies in warmer climates than our own. Zone 7 and 10B. For information, we have again called on our lily expert from the South, Dr. Art Evans. Dr. Evans successfully grows and hybridizes many lilies, specializing in asiatics and orienpets. These questions are right up his alley. Thank you, Art, for sharing your wisdom with us.

Lil

Message:
I have some asiatic lilies which have already bloomed. Now I want to know if I should let the leaves brown to feed the bulb for next year or cut them to the ground, or what?
I live in Zone 10B in the Southwest and this is my first year growing these beautiful flowers.
Thanks
Daveen,

Message:

Which orienpet lilies, if any, are most likely to be successful in Zone 7? I gather from reading various sources that they prefer colder climates.
Thanks!

Lela

Dear Daveen,

If you want to try to keep these lilies to bloom next year, keep them well watered and fertilized until the foliage turns yellow. Your climate probably does not stay cold enough to fulfill the winter chill requirement for asiatics, which means they probably would not grow well next year if left outside. Try bringing some of the bulbs inside, packed in dry peat in a poly bag, after they go dormant in August or September. Keep them in the refrigerator as near to 32 F as possible for 12 or more weeks. Plant out when cool weather comes. Your climate may be somewhat Mediterranean, which means the growing seasons are somewhat reversed, compared to the cool climates where Liliums are native. If you use your refrigerator well, you may have lilies waaaaay before anyone else next spring.

Dear Lela,

Almost all lilies prefer a cooler climate than zone 7. There are a few species (L. longiflorum and L. formosanum, easy from seed) and some orienpets which perform well with morning sun and afternoon shade in the hot, humid South. Try 'Leslie Woodriff', 'Scheherazade', and the American Series ( 'American Heritage', 'American Spirit', American Bandstand',etc). I would avoid OTs bred for the Dutch cut-flower market. Many of them do not hold up well in warm-climate gardens.There may be exceptions, of course. If you love lilies and have plenty of room, by all means try them all and let me know what does well for you. If a new variety comes back stronger in the second and third years, you've got a winner!

Best wishes to you both,

Art Evans

Hi Heather, Lil received your questions and forwarded them on to our best Southern Lily Expert, North American Lily Society member, Art Evans. I'm including your question and his reply below. Thank you for your email. There is always something to be learned by every question.
Message: A friend just gave me some potted asiatic lilies. They are currently blooming. I live in northern California and it is in the 70's during the day and I believe 50's at night. I have no idea how to take care of these lilies, but I really don't want them to die. They seem to be in a rather small pot. Is the best thing to keep them in this pot until the fall? When I transplant I have the choice of a larger pot that I could move to achieve the desired sunlight or a small gardening area on my patio which, unfortunately, is predominately shady. How much sun do these need/where would be the best place to plant them? Also how often should they be watered? Thank you very much; as you can tell I am rather clueless when it comes to growing lilies but would much like to improve! Heather Clemons

Dear Heather,
I don't know what climatic zone you live in, or how many hours of temps below 40F you get each winter, but it is likely that you do get enough cool weather to accomplish the vernalization or winter chill requirement needed for asiatic lilies to wake up in the spring. They prefer full sun; anything less produces spindley stems and dwindling vigor. Sandy loam, on a slope or in a raised bed, suits them well. Avoid clay soil and a site which has poor air circulation. Clay soil suffocates roots, and poor air circulation keeps foliage wet too long when wet with dew or rain. Both invite diseases. Planting in a frost pocket is death to "early risers" which come up too early in the spring. Read: asiatics, LAs, and any OT with more than a drop of Black Beauty blood. Though forced lilies are quite exhausted when they finish blooming in the pot, many do survive when unpotted, planted in the garden, and watered well for the rest of the growing season. Extra water is needed because all the roots are cramped into a tight little wad instead of being spread out the normal way. After the first season outside, new roots will have spread out on their own. Most potted lilies are short-growing, so plant them toward the front of a bed or above a path which winds around a slope. Good luck, but be careful! Lilies are addicting. Art Evans

I have several lily varieties that I got a long time ago, but have forgotten their names. I got most of them through catalogs outside of Minnesota. Is there any way that I can identify these lily varieties?
Thank you. That's a very good question. I've got a few 'lost name tag' lilies, too. I enjoy them just the same, but it is fun to know their names and very useful if you plan to show them. I think your best bet would be to cut a stem in bloom and take it to a North Star Lily Society, (or any regional lily society show) and see if it could be identified by members who grow a wide variety of named cultivars of the genus lilium. If your lily comes into bloom and there is no show to take it to, I'd contact NSLS and ask if there is someone who would be able to take a look at your lily and see if they could identify it. Every regional lily society has members who have extensive experience in growing, showing and hybridizing lilies and they may be able to recognize and name your stem for you. I believe it would be better to bring the actual stem instead of a photograph because there can be a number of subtle differences in lily cultivars that you can see in the actual flower and stem that you might not be able to detect from a photograph. The next North Star Lily Society show will be in July, 2005. Check our website soon for next year's calendar of events.

Best regards!
Denese Erickson
President, North Star Lily Society

Message: I am looking for martagon lily seed to start as there has always
seem to be a shortage of martagons for sale. Would you have any sources of
seed? Best Regards, Ted

Hi Ted,
I know that the North American Lily Society has an active seed exchange for members. They usually have a nice selection of hybrid crosses and open pollinated martagon seeds. If you are not already a member, you might consider joining NALS. Their website is lilies.org and you'll find membership information there.We are having a fall bulb sale at the MN Arboretum on October 16. Our bulb chair has done a nice job of acquiring a variety of martagon bulbs from the US and Canada. Watch our website, in the next couple of weeks we plan on posting the listing. Members will get first selection, but we plan on having martagons available for the public too. I have enjoyed adding to my martagon collection every fall at our sale. Denese Erickson
President, NSLS

Up to top

Part I Part III Part IV Part V