Hi philly gardener. I have a web site you could try, www.lilynook.mb.ca for some info on lilies. On the left hand side bottom you'll see a "planting and care". If you click on that, it will give you some very simple info on the care of your lilies. Stan

It isn't time for Oriental lilies to come up yet. Mine are not even showing signs of coming up down here where the weather is warm. The asiatics are up, the LA hybrids are up, but the Orientals and Trumpets have their own timetable. It takes a while. Please be patient and don't drown them. Use the advice on the website given above about how often to water.

Good luck,
Nell

Costco is a good deal isn't it? I bought some of those bags myself the first week they came in. If you bought a general purpose bulb fertilizer it should be fine - just don't over fertilize and I would suggest you hold off on fertilizing until after they begin to bloom. Its after blooming that they begin to store energy again for next years flowers. I don't know how big your pot is, but 9 orientals in 1 pot is a lot. The planting instructions should have said to plant at least 6" apart. The stalks and leaves, and roots could be very crowded and they won't perform the following year due to lack of appropriate nutrients and sunlight. The first year for an oriental they may come up a little shorter than what was indicated on the label, by the 2nd or 3rd year they should hit their true heighth. In buying these slightly smaller bulbs the old axiom applies : 1st year sleep, 2nd year creep, 3rd year leap. I've had Lilium Black Beauty go from maybe 30" with 3 flowers to 60" with over 40 flowers on 1 stalk.

After the bulbs bloom, don't cut down the stalk - it needs the leaves to store energy- just nip off the top of the stalk to make it look neater. I usually leave mine stand all winter so I know where the bulbs were planted during spring when we are all itching to go do something - and step in the flower bed. You may not have realized that orientals are among the last lilies to bloom - mid to late summer depending on your climate.

Re the pot - I wouldn't bother taking it in and out of the garage unless its so crowded with bulbs that they are touching the insides of the pot - then you could damage a bulb if you had an extended freeze and the cold temp wicks thru the side of the pot. Just leave it out and it you feel the need, throw a blanket or covering over it - I don't think it will make any difference though.

Good luck

Asolutely right, Orientals have a mind of it's own, I do have a few out of ahundred bulbs that are barely peeking out and I am in a much warmer climate.. Patience my friend.
Alison

Also, spring planted bulbs come up later than established and even Fall planted bulbs because they have to get their root system going first.

My well established orientals are only up a little bit and my fall planted bulbs are just showing up. My mail ordered spring bulbs don't even ship until April 15 for zone 7. So your lilies are right on schedule.

-Helen

Thank you all for all your responses. This year I will order more lily bulbs and plant them in the fall so they can start growing their roots in the fall.

I have a potted oriental lily plant which has already bloomed. I was wondering how often they bloom? Are they just an annual plant? Also, once the petals fall off, how do I care for the plant until it blooms again? Do I cut the stems, or what's the proper care? Thanks-
-ADJ-

ads - if you can put the lily in the ground and mix bonemeal or a bulb fertilizer in the hole the bulb will store energy to bloom again next yr. Don't cut the stems down - the plant has to store energy in the bulb for next yr. If you have to leave it in the pot I'd set it in morning sun and keep it watered and fertilized. I've had giant pots of orientals out in the garden for a couple years but these are enormous pots - like 80 gallons so they have plenty of insulation against getting hot, root bound or frozen

I planted about 12 Color Parade from wild's about a week ago. I forgot to mix bone meal in the bottom of the hole, marked where I planted them.

I just checked, and they are orientals.

When should they start showing and what can I do to make up for not putting bone meal in the hole? I have some Beaty liquid kelp, regular Miracle Gro, some Miracle Gro bloom booster, and Osmocote. I'd be more inclined to use the kelp but not until they come up and grown some.

Certainly wouldn't use but one of the fertilizers. IF they come up which is a big if because I stored them in the fridge until the bed was ready and some had green mold (think a little of that is ok) but some of the bulblets were blackened which I scraped off, should have treated them with something but just wanted to get them in the ground.

Lilies have to grow some roots first. Depending on the condition of the bulbs and on the depth of planting, it might take them 2-6 weeks to emerge. You can add some bone meal to the soil now, but they do not need to be fertilized. Especially with high Nitrogen fertilizer like kelp.

Thank you, alina, for heading off another mistake. Maybe the kelp was a waste of money, but someone last year on a lily forum swore by it. I think she only sprayed the foliage with it and claimed it increased the number of buds.

I can scratch some bone meal in when I get around to it. So much to do! Bad storms supposedly coming for 2 days means putting other things on hold.

I do not think that kelp is a waste of money. It is organic and you can use it if your plants will have some Nitrogen defficiency. Also, it works great for germinating some seeds.
'Color Parade' Lilies look wonderful on pictures! Good luck with them!

Thanks again. I'll use the kelp on something. Mainly I grow roses and scratch time release fertilizer in the soil and have to allow for using Bayer All-in-1 so don't want to overdo it.

Yes indeed, they look wonderful in pictures if they really bloom in those colors. I've been disappointed before. My growth may not be optimal or slowed as some bulblets were nice and solid, but there were a few bad ones, not whole bulbs bad. I kept them in the fridge for a couple weeks or more, best not to do that, but I don't like potting up temporarily if I can get away with not.

Need Help!! Received a oriental lily plant for my father's funeral and have it inside. The lily pedals are all dropping off. Did I water it too much? I was going to plant it outside and now it is bare. Can I still do that or is it dead now?

Is it potted? Or cut flower?
If it is potted, you can plant it outside. It is better to this when the plant is dormant (fall). It will come back next year. Do not keep it indoors. Lilies are not indoor plants.

I have received a potted oriental lilly. It had many buds on it. It suddenly started turning yellow the buds first then the leaves, now it is turning brown and there is only one bud on it that is green? What did I do wrong? Did I over water it? I can not put it outside as we have a foot of snow. I was hoping to plant it in the spring, will I still be able to? Help Please.