wieslaw, you might try to be a bit more sympathetic toward those of us across the pond who are battling with the red lily beetle. YOU live in Denmark, we don't have the natural predator contols you do (yet). 'we're plagued by the things. Grrrrrr. Unfortunately, these nasty eating machines have no natural predators in North America, so they're pretty much free to run rampant over our gardens, taking out our lilies and Fritillaria at will. Apparently certain parasitic wasps exist already as controls in Europe. Biological control using natural lily leaf beetle predators shows the most promise for controlling the spread of this invasive scourge. Although the beetle has no natural predators in North America, the University of Rhode Island Biological Control Laboratory, in collaboration with CABI-Bioscience and colleagues in France, has identified several European insects that parasitize the lily leaf beetle grubs. The ant-sized parasitic wasps lay eggs on the beetle grubs, which subsequently hatch and kill their host. These insects have been released at research sites in all New England states and are proving effective at decreasing the lily leaf beetle populations for at least several miles in the surrounding areas. These controls are not yet commercially available for gardeners, but show long-term promise.' it's very disheartening to see the damage done to our lilies by this pest. i do not use pesticides normally, but i do resort to one for this situation -- Bayer Rose and Garden Spray in the bright blue bottle. it is the best way to keep these beetles at bay as long as one does not apply in breezy conditions or when beneficial insects/bees are present. as a systemic pesticide, the application works for 4-6 weeks and can then be re-applied to keep the lilies beetle-free.

I got my first pink lilies 2 weeks ago in Lowes, i was so happy because i never had those before, i only have tens of tens regular orange lilies. As i was checking them yesterday i noticed that something was eating the lilies!!! i did not find anything though, but this morning i saw them!! those nasty red beetles!! disgusting!!! I hate insects so much that i can not even describe it, but the worst thing is that I can not make myself to squish them, so i wont be able to keep control of it. I think the bugs must have come with the bulbs, so i am afraid now that all my orange lilies are gonna be attack soon. :( This weekend i am gonna get nees oil and try this but if this is not gonna work i will have to dig upp the lilies and get rid of them i can not let my garden die casuse of some stupid bugs!!

I think the key for both the tulip and lily is good draining soil. Poor drainage can potentially cause rot in both types of bulbs. The foliage is what technically "feeds" the bulb, although some supplement (good composted materials and perhaps some bulb fertilizer or bone meal) might help build a strong root system. Since your lily is up that tall, it might be better, if possible, to wait until the fall to move it as the stem is dying back. That way you have a better chance at getting a decent bloom next year. Otherwise, if you move, try to dig down deep and be careful of breaking the stem. You might find babies under the soil too.

Hi I'm in zone 3 in southern Alberta. We live in a chinook zone and we get warm winds, so our winters can be cold and warm. we call this gardening under the arch because of the Chinook arches. So we don't always get a lot of snow and when we do I shovel snow on the flower beds. I have an Asiatic lily that I planted last year and this year it is still at ground level even though today is June 1st. It started poking its head up about the beginning of may. I haven't been watering it too much because I don't want it to rot. My ground is clay so I have amended it with some peat and new garden soil and Its in a South bed so it gets plenty of sunshine. All my other plants around it are doing well. I know you're going to ask : ) no they're not shading or crowding it. I have fed it a fish fertilizer but just once so far. Last year it grew so well when I bought it in the spring. All my other lilies are doing very well . Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks cheryl.