Hi,This was my first year planting Stargazer Lilys and I Loved them.Does anyone know if they will be alright over the winter if I leave them in the ground or should I lift them and replant in the spring?I am in Zone 5A.I hope I posted this on the right forum or I'm gonna feel like a real goof !!Thanks for any and all help!! : ) Nancy
Stargazer Lily Bulbs Question
Stargazer lilies are hardy and will be fine outside. I have had some for several years and they have never been taken out of the ground. I think if you do a search on them they are hardy to zone 3.
Thank you soooo much leaflady. Whenever I have something new I always panic.Now I can rest easy. Thanks ! : ) Nancy
None of my lilies came back this year. I think it was the April Freeze. Anyone else have this problem?
I dug up one of the bulbs. It is still in good shape. At first I thought I needed to divide them but it has been only 3 years. There is a few small leaf blades that have come thru the ground.
Linda
Mine look stunted this year. I also think it is from the bad freeze. If you have at least some leaves they should rebuild their selves for next year.
I think I lost a couple of oriental lilies this spring but most came back. My big orange one was really stunted. I did lose a stargazer a few years back but I don't know why. I purchased a new one this year and I am going to plant it this week. Does anyone know if they will cross pollenate? If I put a stargazer too close to say a yellow one will that be a problem?
Joyce
Unless you're trying to hybridize it's a good idea to break off seed pods on Lilium to allow all the energy to go into the bulb rather into forming seeds in the seed pod. This makes a stronger bulb underground for next year. And yes if you have 2 lilium they can cross pollinate especially if they are in the same family (asiatic, oriental, trumpet, etc)
Thank you for the info langbr. I have let them go to seed thinking they might reproduce, now that you say that it does make sense. The bulbs will grow more bulbs if I leave them alone, right? Good to see another gardener in the neighborhood.
Yes....your main bulb will send out roots that will in turn develop new bulbs. Additionally, the main bulb will grow until a point in which it splits into 2 bulbs. If you dig it up in the fall after a couple of years in the ground you'll find a bulb that can easily be divided.
Cedernest sorry about highjacking your post. Hope the information is helpful to you.
Langbr, I have another question, if I dig up my lilies this fall, will they bloom the next year? Since you are in my zone about when is "fall"?
Do you mean dig up and replant this fall? Then, yes they will. Even bulbs planted in spring will bloom that same year if you get them in the ground early enough. The preferred planting time for lily bulbs is fall, however.
It appears I lost all my oriental and asiatic lilies this year. We did have a severe winter and a frost that zapped all our fruit trees, too. It will take some $$ to try to get as many as I had back in place. It seems that it was both beds I had them in.
Happgarden you can hijack any thread of mine anytime you want...LOL Honestly I Love all the added input. I too lost alot of my lilies with the crazy spring freeze,Thats the only explaination I can come up with.I planted more stargazers the end of april early may and they have shot up like rockets! LOL I have 1 stargazer blooming that did come back this year..I need to go see if I can find the pic I took a few days ago.I just love working outside in the beds. The scent is so wonderful.Even the neighbors get a whiff now and again and had to ask where the wonderful smell was coming from.
Langbr,I didn't know they were able to be divided after a few years.That is great news..Hope this batch does wiell enough so I can divide in the future.
Darlindeb..Sorry to hear you lost all of yours.Those in your pic are absolutely Gorgeous : ))
OK here is a pic from a few days ago : ))
Darlindeb, you might want to wait till next year to see if your really lost all your lilies or not. They may just be sulking from the freeze we all had in April..
Diann
Cedarnest, beautiful pictures. I just love those and I planted a new pot this year. I have a beautiful white, with redish tip and yellow center can't think of the name but they are wonderful.
Langbr, I meant this fall. Do I wait until the foliage dies down after the first freeze? I have a set of orange that didn't do too well because of the freeze but they have also been in the ground for several years and am excited about thinking transplanting and moving them around the garden.
Sure Happ you can dig up and move your bulbs this fall. Wait until the foliage is pretty much dried up to give them as much energy as possible for next year's growth.
I agree with Ticker.....any lilies that were hit by the late freeze may very well be back to their happy selves come spring of 2008. I'm fully expecting mine to come back, although it was my asiatics that got hit the hardest as they were up and quite tall when the freeze hit them....the orientals, trumpets and cross-class ones were just poking through the ground and not too tall.
Darlindeb, I agree with Ticker and langbr. We had a severe Spring frost. No Lilies. I dug up one of my bulbs. It looked fine so I replanted. Linda
Thanks for the advice.
I've also had bunnies chew my lilies early in the season down to nubs at ground level and they come back fine the next season. In fact they will grow that same season but usually don't bloom.
It need for Bulb Boost... (powder)