Somtimes we get surprised, no matter how bulbs appear!

I took advantage of the end of season sale from Van Engelen last fall. I ordered White Pixels, Orange Electric, Jennifer Pearl, Auratum Gold Band, Anastasia, Sweet Surrender, and Regale Album. I totally forgot that I had these bulbs, and found them at the end of January. The bulbs looked dessicated, and some of them were even moldy. Being the cheap person that I am, I didn't want to throw them away. I decided to pot them up on January 27th, and placed them outside of my basement, without watering them. I let Mother Nature take her course and to my surprise, all of the bulbs have grown, except for Auratum Gold Band. Something has been digging in the pot on this one. I thrilled to say that Jennifer Pearl and Orange Pixels have buds.

Lesson learned, never give up, no matter how bad they look.

Amazingly resilient. I once forgot to plant about a dozen bulbs, moving from one bed to another. Found them naked late in the winter. Still going strong.

Fantastic! Rock on!

Great. I do love lilies. They are pretty idiot proof which works for me. lol

LOL, Mary. Sooo true on this end.

Annette

I wasn't commenting on you, as you well know. I just get so overwhelmed in the spring and sometimes am not very organized. Lilies are so tough and do so well here that they may become my favorite flowers. Right now I feel like a steamroller has gone over me. Between pond, garage greenhouse, yard, raised beds --- I think I have truly bitten off more than I can chew. And I have to leave for 10 days on June 2nd. I surely hope it warms up soon.

And I really meant the comment also applies to me, LOL. I hear ya about the amount of things we set ourselves up to do , that we don't even have the time for.

I bought not only lilies that I forgot, I bought seeds that I meant to sow for annuals and perennials that still aren't done yet, and won't be getting done. I'm too overwhelmed to keep up with them, and I haven't even begun to move the tropical plants from the basement to the back patio. I'm glad some plants are resilient, and survive despite us ;-)

I felt like a real idiot when I saw that bucket of naked bulbs. I felt pretty good when I saw someone post that her plant kept getting stepped on, as I thought that happened only to me, only with irises and peonies.

I expect to have have more than 150 lily plants this summer and could not be more thrilled. For the past 3-4 years, I have been plagued as many others in the northeast portion of the U.S. with the dratted red lily beetle. It makes dinner out of the entire leaf and bloom. I think we've finally found the solution to the damage from these awful insects, and the spray seems to be working. I hope they don't migrate to other sections of the country and world. Despite the damage, the lilies have persevered, and we only lost a few of the orientals in total. What fool-proof bulbs!

It was just a stroke of luck that the yard guys did the cleanup just before the lilies started to pop.

It is easier for me to put lilies into containers like window boxes, and I usually put in 5 or 6, depending on the length of the box. There is no accounting for what goes on with these asiatics. Yet the orientals are not far behind. They just seem to like the companyand divide when they feel like it.

The blue container from the deck was decimated by lily beetles last year, However, this 35 gallon container started out with about 15 lily bulbs four years ago and does everything it can to compete.

great ideas here.

They're looking good. How long can lilies live in containers?

I have kept them in pots for years. You just need to remove the soil once a year and enrich it with the usual stuff.

This message was edited May 12, 2013 7:44 PM

I never renew the soil and they've been in containers for years. Excellent drainage is critical.

Once we ordered mixed lilies that ended up being mainly Asiatics. For the price it was a good deal...or so we thought. The bulbs arrived moldy but a neighbor who was in the business said that they're better moldy than dry. We planted them and they've been gorgeous for 20 years.

Where do you keep the pots? I assume I could put them in the crawlspace as long as the pot I put them in was small enough to get through the hole in the floor. How many, say, asiatics, can you put in a pot, and how big are the pots.

They stay out year round. The large blue (35 gallon) containers live on our back deck, but the containers themselves are beginning to become brittle and deteriorate. After the lilies bloom this season, the deck lilies will have a new home.

I also have lilies in the large planters on the deck.I have had 3 asiatic bulbs in a 10 in planter but just for a season.I dont think they will survive a winter in that small a pot.I started them in the garage in October when I got the bulbs,they are sleepy all winter ,then when April and milder weather comes I bring out the pots to let the bulbs develop as they will for the summer.In Fall I put them in the garden.

Ours stay outside all year, every year. (zone 7)

I do love how this one planted itself here!

The lilies don't mind the pot as long as it is deep enough. With lots of inground lilies, I find it easier to keep after the dreaded red lily beetle when they are contained in pots. The others are in the garden among lots of other plants. It is harder to see them sprout, and often can't be seen until the beetles have been dining. Since I need to spray the soil as well for the larvae, I keep the containers to just lilies. Gives a lot of freedom for design and showcase at different times. I do the same for caladiums and callas and just rotate them as necessary.

I agree cathy
Most of my lilies are in the ground.I have 3 planters on the deck with lilies that stay all year

My concern in having lilies in pots is that they might not have enough protection from the cold. I suppose if I put the pots out where they would get snowed on and then covered with snow maybe they would be okay. I may try it with some of my smaller lilies this winter and see what happens. And my reason for potting any is just to have something on my deck. The dahlias do okay in pots, so with lilies that would be nice along with annuals.

I always just figured the larger pots would be better for the wintering bulbs.
The bulbs I found in January around my Satisfaction lily were planted in 8 inch pots and kept in the garage all winter.I took them out in late ,arch and noticed yesterday they were sprouting.
I havnt kept potted lilies in small pots outside in winter here in Z6a.

We have just one small pot of Asiatics and they only remained potted outside, all winter, because they were in a maze of other pots. I don't even remember them blooming last year. They did survive the winter and now have a prime spot so I can be 100% sure of the color before I plant them.

In my zone lilies outside in pots freeze.

So Instead I put them in the rear of my unheated garage under a quilt and give them a bit of water early each month. I did that with Speciosum alba and Uchida, as well as formosanum, which is even more tender, and they all came through and are budding. And the pots are at least medium sized.

I now have a 2 1/2 car detached garage, and I find it stays warmer than my former two car attached garage - probably because this garage is deep as well as wide.

Mary, throwing a quilt over your lilies might work well if you want to leave them outside and in a sheltered spot. I get mine quilts from thrift shops. It's amazing how I can end up expanding what I grow by overwintering in the garage.

It would certainly work for zantedeschia.

My poor little garage is heated and stays about 50F most all winter. But it is so small and crowded, especially since I bought the two growing racks. And in the winter D moves the snowblower into the garage. I also store the pumps from the pond in a sterlite filled with water in there. D says they have to stay wet or the seals will eventually crack and fail. Oh, and the 48" UV comes in also. Perhaps I will try one more time (oh, how often I have said those words) to get unneeded or wanted detritus out of the space that is left. I could probably fit in two, maybe three pots depending on size. I could afford to use a little smaller pots if I wasn't going to leave them outside. Or, as you suggest just wrap them in quilts. I still have some moving quilts left and I go to Value Village almost every Saturday with my Daughter. I will keep a look out for quilts.

Back when there were two cars in a much smaller garage I used to put plants all the way in the back or in corners - really wedged in.

Here are my annuals.Shelves and folding tables serve as storage in our garage.
I pot plants on the deck of my CRV.Ya gotta love it to go to the lengths we do.

JoAnn, that is really 'over and above' I at least have a very crowded countertop in the garage about 40x24. And I move my car into the drive to set up a 4x8 sheet of plywood on sawhorses to plant on until the plants over run it.

OMG Mary,
Our 2 car is filled with a motorcycle and lawn mower besides 2 cars. Shelving around the edges and hook arrangements to hang tools from.
I also unpack some plant orders.Its really energy saving because the CRV deck doesnt need to be set up or taken down.

That's hysterical. I have a Subaru SUV and it's hood is almost higher than I am. Well, not quite but it would be a strain lifting my arms high enough to do anything on it's hood. The perfect height is where I don't have to bend, AT ALL. Like that is ever going to happen to a gardener. I would rather crawl than bend.

LOL

Me, too, Mary. I'll crawl anytime. The bending over in a half-stooped position really annoys my back.

Do you separate the bulbs after a few years in the pots? Mine seemed to multiply this winter.

I know mine have multiplied because I have never crowded so many bulbs in a pot. Also, if your container is not deep enough, you'll find that the weight of the stems and buds and flowers that follow can easily tip over the container. I always wait until after blooming to divide them up. If you must move a bulb before flowering, take a lot of soil and do not disturb the roots or you will surely be disappointed this year.

Marie, have you had any damage from lily beetles?
Marcia

only voles, that is why I have most of mine in pots.

The abused lilies have all bloomed, except Anastasia. Sweet Surrender, Regale Album, and Pearl Jennifer ( Jennifer Pearl?) are blooming now. I missed taking pictures of Orange Pixels.

The bulbs from Auratom Gold Band didn't sprout, but I'm glad I planted the other "abused" bulbs.

#2 Pearl Jennifer
#3 Regale Album
#4 Sweet Surrender

None the worse for wear they are all lovely!

Thanks, Marcia. I hope your lilies are doing well, with not a single lily beetle in sight.
I'm thrilled that these lilies even bloomed this year. Now I just have to keep the fluffy bunnies and the chipmumks away from the pots for the rest if the summer ;-)