Last year, I bought a pot of 3 lilies (each with 3-4 blooms already and a few more unopened buds) from a big box store 'cause they were so pretty I just couldn't resist! "As I expected, their blooming time was soon over so I planted them in my garden, expecting multiple blooms again the next year however each only had one bloom. the following year; a neighbor who had similar ones (about 2 foot, multiple blooming lilies) told me that each year (to get the multiple blooms) to pinch off the one developing bud - so I did: now they're just green foliage with NO buds! It's been 2 weeks and they haven't grown any taller or shown any other growth, so I guess I won't have any lily blooms this year.
I guess I'm a sucker, 'cause I bought another pot of 3 multiple blooming lilies from another big box store this year 'cause of the pretty blooms. As expected, they too finished blooming soon and I planted them in my garden for a show NEXT year.
What, if anything, can I do to have multiple blooms again??
How do I get my lilies to have many buds again???
By pinching you eliminated the possibility of any flowers this season. You are however allowing the lily to put it's energy into a bigger stronger bulb, which should produce more buds next year,
Feed them and keep them watered for the summer. Single buds/blooms usually indicate a smaller or immature bulb is below the surface. Don't panic just allow nature to take it's course. If they are asiatics you should soon be able to divide them or get many more stems with flowers. By soon I mean in a year or two.
I very much agree with Hostages' thought and advice. Top quality lilies will produce three stems and a minimum of three flowers on each stem. Yours will get there with the kind of care Hostages noted.
Some bulb food this fall, and a bit more upon emergence in spring, and before you know it you will be trying to find a way to share your excess bulbs with others, or spread them around your yard.
Bet: Buying lilies in bloom at least allows you to know exactly what you're getting.
I'm assuming the slow bloom is because they were put in a pot vs. ground?
OK, here is an example. This is a second year lily, an orienpet called Blueberry Crush. I bought the bulb (this ONE lily) and put it in the ground and the first year it was OK. It produced three flowers from three buds. But it was in a bad place, so at the end of the season I moved it to where it is in this picture. It developed so much I didn't realize for a while that it was the same lily.
