Plant tiger lily and Asiatic lily bulbs now or wait?

last year

Happened to get a lot of packaged bulbs for cheap. It’s currently the threshold of hell here in Illinois. Should I throw them in the ground or wait? If I do wait, do I need to do anything special to store them?

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Lilies do not store well out of the ground. The longer you wait to plant, the less viable they are likely to become. Plant them now but don't expect much this season. With luck they should grow and flower as normal next year.
Illini Fan
Original Author
last year
Ok im not worried abiut this year. i got a lot for about $.25 each
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They don't like 'wet feet' and they do like to have humus in the soil. Leaf mould is good. Heads in the sun and cool feet - like Clematis. And they appreciate a topping with an organic mulch. If you plant them in company with shrubs ensure they get reasonable sun during the day. If you got the bulbs locally they probably won't need lifting for winter protection. And they don't like being out of the ground for too long - unless you leave them in a box with potting soil to protect their scales. Even when they lose their stems and leaves, they never get to be as dormant as a daffodil. If the scales develop a deep purple shade the bulbs have probably become too hot and dry. You might only get short stems and no flowers the following year. Leave enough room for daughter bulbs to develop around the original mother plant and form a larger clump. Some of the asiatics develop stem bulbils which drop off and start to sprout on the ground's surface. Some lilies have two sets of roots: basal which are the first ones and are like daffodil roots; then another set which are very close to the surface and come from the stem not the bulb itself. They're feeding roots, which is why mulching and a humus-rich soil is so good for growing good lilies. Expect stems 3' plus. Don't sniff the orientals too closely - they're generous about sharing their pollen, and it can stain.
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I think it would be fine to wait to plant them. January is not all that far off anyway, even if planted in late Jan. I'd just try to watch and keep the Stargazers from drying out too much before planting. You might try keeping them stored in some slightly dampened peat, or potting mix. Happy Planting. Sue
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Not sure how warm you are in zone 8, but if the lilies are growing well indoors, continue to let them....the biggest problem is if they are not getting enough light to support the topgrowth. I'm sorry to say but the stem you broke off will not sprout, but it may....depending on how far along....bloom! When frost is past, I would move them outside and either leave them in their pots until fall, in which time you can transplant to the garden. Or, if you are extremely careful, you can move bulb and stem (requires a surgeons hand) to the garden.....you want to keep the stem attached as that is the food source for the bulb! Let us know how you make out. Flora2b PS If you have lilies that are sprouting and it is still too cold, try covering them with something...tree branches, etc. until the cold spell wanes. Sometimes the tips will get nipped no matter what you do, but usually the lilies will survive....maybe not flower that year, but will come back the following year.
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need help with planting methods for asiatic/oriental lily bulbs
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Comments (1)
You mentioned that you all in idaho still get frosts until the first of june. So if the lily bulbs are not yet sprouted I say you could plant them right now and that will allow the bulb to establish a root system. However if it has started to sprout already it increases the risk of frost damage. A late frost can kill the plant, or stunt the flower growth.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
With luck they should grow and flower as normal next year.

==>> well.. thats an understatement ... if these have been sitting in poor improper conditions.. say in a bigbox or hardware store.. odd are very high .. little or nothing will come of them ...

but if only one or two do.. then you probably beat the bargain.. as those two at full price probably offset the loss of the rest ..

if they do sprout green.. we need that green to feed the bulb for next year...

proper storage of bulbs.. aka.. onions.. or root stock like potatoes.. etc .. was the old fashioned root cellar ... 50ish degrees.. dampish.. etc ... most of us now would call that an unheated basement ... bigbox is not a root cellar.. lol ...

ken
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
As long as the bulbs are firm, not shriveled or molded, then they should grow. I've picked up late season sale bulbs like this when the price was too good to pass up and once planted, they do fine. As a matter of fact, I have 2 large containers of them growing right now - Walmart specials!! 😁
lowville5 zone5b/6 ON, Canada
last year
Along this vein of questioning, is it ok to plant canna bulbs now? I purchased them on clearance this week.

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Plant tiger lily and Asiatic lily bulbs now or wait?

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Illini Fan
Original Author

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

lowville5 zone5b/6 ON, Canada

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Plant tiger lily and Asiatic lily bulbs now or wait?

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Illini FanOriginal Author

Related Discussions

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

lowville5 zone5b/6 ON, Canada

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Illini Fan
Original Author