- PLANTING:
Lilies grown as garden plants are fairly hardy, especially if planted deep enough and
in doubtful cases given protection with ashes or dry litter. The majority of Lilies
require a soil fairly rich in humus or vegetable mould, and if it is desirable to plant
Lilies in poor soil or in chalky districts, an area must be dug out 2 feet deep and
filled in with kitchen garden soil mixed with fibrous loam and sand. Plant the bulbs
fully 3 inches deep in most cases and surround them with an envelope of sand 1/2
inch thick; this allows excessive moisture to pass away freely; it acts also as a guard
against the attacks of slugs, and, by reason of its sterility, as a barrier against the
spread of such fungoid diseases as may infest the surrounding soil and which would
be likely to destroy the bulbs if they gained access to them. The bulbs of all Lilies
root quicker and with greater freedom if a few pieces of peat are placed beneath
them when planted. Be aware of the soil conditions, stagnant moisture can rot the
bulbs during winter owing. Bulbs should be planted before the end of September, to
give them time to make their natural autumn growth, they should, in suitable soil,
flower well the next year.
GROWING:
All Lilies require plenty of moisture. If they are neglected in this respect they will not
produce the glorious spikes of flowers they are capable of; moreover, a Lily once
drought-stricken or in any way seriously checked in growth so as to produce debility,
rarely recovers its health.
A large number of varieties produce two distinct sets of root - those from the base of
the bulb and others from the base of the stem, above the bulb. These are termed
'stem-rooting.' The roots are fleshy and have the ability to contract and pull the bulb
down to the depth of soil that is most optimum for its survival. The bulbils also have
this ability when they fall to the ground and set roots. When they form the roots at
the base of the stem it works to help anchor and feed the bulb.
Lilies grown from seed take from two to six years to produce flowers. When raising
from seed, a regular rotation should be maintained by sowing a quantity of seed
each year. Many Lilies germinate exceedingly well in cold frames when sown in
March, April or May. When the young seedlings have made their second or third
leaf, they may be planted outdoors in a sheltered border during the spring, to get
well-established before winter, the less hardy ones being grown in frames.
- MOULD:
The mould Botrytis cinerea, which attacks so many garden plants, often attacks
Lilies, usually the foliage is attacked. On the first signs, the plants should be
sprayed with a solution of sulphide of potassium, using an ounce to a gallon of warm
water (temperature 100 degrees to 120 degrees F.), at the same time removing any
affected leaves and burning them. If a little soft soap is dissolved with the mixture, it
adheres much better to the foliage and is not so easily washed off by rain. In bad
cases, the bulbs may be affected, in which case they should be thoroughly dusted
with flowers of sulphur. Cut off and burn the diseased stems, lift the bulbs, place
them in a large paper bag containing flowers of sulphur, give a good shaking to work
the sulphur well into the scales and then replant in a fresh site. This precaution has
often proved successful in warding off a subsequent attack of the disease. Spraying
the foliage with a solution of potassium sulphide helps to keep the disease in check,
but it is not a cure; no absolute remedy has yet been discovered.
The disease is a more or less mysterious one: it often appears in a virulent form in
one garden, whereas in a neighbouring one the plants may be quite free from it.
Once it finds foothold in the soil of a garden it remains there. In dull, chilly, damp
summers, the disease becomes epidemic, and does widespread harm to many
plants besides Lilies. The sun is the most powerful antidote against the fungus,
which is spread by spores too minute for the eye to see.
Lilies are on the whole singularly free from insect and other pests, though wood-lice sometimes prove troublesome.
On some soils, slugs are the chief menace; the grey slug attacks the stem and leaves, but the black slug is the more
insidious, as it attacks the bulbs and working underground is difficult to deal with. The best means of keeping slugs
in check are good cultivation and trapping. One mode of trapping that is much recommended is, to place on the
ground in the evening boards smeared on their under sides with a mixture of flour and stale beer. Examine the
boards every morning and destroy the catch. Dry bran also catches many. Coarse, clean sand and small sifted
cinders placed round the bulbs will also ward off attacks.
