skip to main content

Dollar Store Lilies

8 years ago

I tried doing a search but must have been using the wrong terms. I'd be surprised if this has never come up before!

I was given some lily bulbs today that were purchased from a dollar store. They're in the typical bag with peat with a few pale green sprouts and I have no idea what to do with them until I can plant them in the garden. It's been a mild winter, but we have a cold spell on us right now and it will be a few weeks before the soil can be worked easily.

So: Do I just leave them in the bag and store somewhere cool, or plop them in a pot, stick them in the fridge, what? I have lilies that grow fine in my garden, but were all bought as potted plants in the summer or were already in the ground when we moved in. My random musing of wanting to get serious about adding lilies to the garden this year was taken very seriously by my relative, and here I am. A little earlier than expected. Any advice?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Pot them up right away. If the bulbs are on the small size, you should be able to get 3 in a standard nursery gallon. Plant them deep enough so that all the green sprout is covered but handle very carefully..........if you break or damage that sprout, your lilies will not bloom this season. Make sure the potting soil is just moist to the touch (do not overwater!) and store them somewhere cool and dry.....the garage? Once they grow enough so that they are now showing above the soil surface and your ground soil is workable, you can plant them out into the garden. You can also grow them on in the container if you prefer but they will need daylight once the sprouts have emerged above the soil line. Protect from overly cold spells in spring if you go this route.

Just a word of warning - don't expect much from these bulbs initially. Dollar store lily bulbs are not of high quality to begin with and the presence of new growth indicates they haven't been stored properly. Typically this combination of conditions results in straggly growth and often no flowers during the first season. But go ahead and plant anyway. If the bulbs survive, they will grow bigger and stronger each year.

This link from one of the large lily bulb growers in my area outlines some of the concerns about buying/planting sprouted bulbs. btw, purchasing higher quality, fully dormant bulbs at the proper time of year from reputable vendors - like B&D Lilies - will be much more rewarding and generate much better plants and flowers than purchasing lower grade bulbs from mass marketers like the dollar or big box stores.
wildhaven
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the reply. I have pots of soil in the garage that I can stick them in, so hopefully they'll be happy to hang out in there until spring. They won't mind being planted out in chilly soil?

I don't expect much of them this year, but I'll give them a little extra attention and see if they can pull through and get over whatever abuse they've had. If they bloom true to color on the package, they'll be quite pretty. Not holding my breath on that being accurate, though!
Related Discussions
Dollar stores vs name brand products
Q
Comments (25)
c t - "I rarely shop at the dollar stores. ..." "The extra time to make the trip isn't worth i." --- I understand that for you (and perhaps many other people), it may be different, but for me, I live about 1/2 mile away from a Dollar Tree. I pass right by it nearly half the time I go anywhere. It is more convenient to get to than nearly any other place I might go. That said, I don't go there often... sometimes no more than once in a month or 2. "A lot of the food is junk food / dozens of broken plastic utensils...but they were a bargain ..." --- I agree (partly). Not everything at a dollar store is a wise purchase. Some things (including some food items) are low quality, cheaply made, and should be avoided. If "everyone" decided not to purchase these sort of items, and left them on the shelf, the stores (likely) would not carry them anymore (sadly, people do buy them). But, they do have many quality, brand-name items. Even some of those are not a bargain. For example, they usually have a small package of "Aleve" or "Excedrin" (typically 6 pills per package). Approximately 50 pills would cost $8.00, 100 pills for $17.00, and 200 for $33.00. This is more than twice what you would probably pay for the larger sizes, even at regular (non sale) prices at other stores like CVS, Osco, Target, Walmart, or K-Mart. Another thing to watch out for is "expire dates" (sell by/use by/best by-dates). It's common to find food items that are near or past their prime, and these are rarely a bargain. But still, you can sometimes find some brand name food items that are a good deal even if they are near their "best-by" date, if it is something that you use up fairly quickly. And many other non-food items can be found that are also good deals.
...See More
The best dollar you ever spent at the dollar store
Q
Comments (42)
I have a friend in physical rehab (since December) and when I was visiting before Easter I decided I wanted to get each patient on her hallway a little something. Food was not acceptable so I found little flowerpots with silk flowers at the dollar store. They were so pretty- - sure didn't look like dollar store items. I packaged each one (25) in a little gift bag also from the dollar store and made little tags decorated with flower and butterfly stickers and wrote a few words on each. They were a hit and when I go to visit now I see many of the patients have put them on their window sills. It sure was fun.
...See More
Dollar stores and Rinso detergent
Q
Comments (18)
I haven't had success removing grease with any detergent using cold..what you can do if you feel you can't use hot water on a garment that has a grease stain is, flush the stain area only with some hot water to open the fibers, than pour a good liquid detergent with enzymes on ot, rub it in gently and let it sit over night than flush the stain with hot water again and wash. as usual. Have you had a bad experience washing in hot or very wsrm?
...See More
What do you usually buy at the dollar store?
Q
Comments (59)
Gift bags, tissue paper, birthday cards, candy, orange or apple juice from the cooler I need a small amount for a recipe and Betty Crocker parchment sheets that come 10 in a bag, cat litter box when I need a new one. I know what I won't be buying there again, metal kitchen items. I bought a slotted spoon and just noticed last night it wasn't steel like I thought it was, it was coated metal and after I used it last night saw it was coated to look like steel and it was flaking off.
...See More
Ocean Groovy Thrift
6 years ago
I planted a few dollar store bulbs last year and this bloomed today. I think it is a sego lily variety but not sure. A lovely surprise!
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
OGT - your plant is Tigridia pavonia. It isn't in the genus Lilium so not a lily.

Related Stories

HOME OFFICES Guest Picks: Million Dollar Decorator's Glam Office

By Valorie Hart

In Honor of the Season Finale, an Inexpensive Alternative to One of Their Pricey Designs

VINTAGE STYLE Bet Your Bottom Dollar on Cane Chairs for Stylish Seating

By Nicole White Designs Interiors LLC

Cane and Chippendale-style chairs are so easy to customize, you can make one work in a dining space or home office of any style

DECORATING GUIDES 12 Antique Store Finds to Nab Now, Place Later

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

See the accessories one decorator always buys when she spots them — as long as she gets there first

KITCHEN DESIGN Hang 'Em or Hide 'Em: 10 Stylish Ways to Store Pots and Pans

By Jennifer Ott Design

Keep cookware neat and at the ready with racks, drawers and creative storage solutions

FLOWERS Great Design Plant: Lilies

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Try these delightfully exotic stunners for paintbox colors, deep fragrance and intricately detailed petals

BUDGET DECORATING Pop Culture Watch: Get a Good Rap With Thrift Store Scores

By Becky Harris

Eight rooms that rock secondhand finds, in an ideabook inspired by rappers taking YouTube by storm

Ten Ideas for Storing and Displaying Your Jewelry

By Becky Harris

ORGANIZING Pre-Storage Checklist: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Store

By Laura Gaskill

Wait, stop. Do you really need to keep that item you’re about to put into storage?

HOLIDAYS DIY: A Sculptural Modern Bouquet for Mom

By Carolyn Reyes

Cascading calla lilies create a stylish Mother’s Day arrangement that’s right at home with minimalist decor

DECORATING GUIDES Budget Decorating: How to Decorate Smart and Slow

By Laura Gaskill

To make the most of your decorating dollar, forgo the disposable stuff, think vintage and free first and give yourself a splurge

Sponsored

More Discussions

My Easter Lily is resprouting - what should I do?

2

What are some neat ways to decorate my growing plant?

8