Comments on: Saving Your Easter lily

By: paulette

paulette — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:19:48 +0000

lily bulbs not blooming
I just bought my parents property, and there are some easter lilly’s growing in part shade. My mom said they have been planted for atleast 5 or 6 years with no blooms. I cut them all back a year ago. The stalks look great and healthy. Will they ever bloom or should i move them to a different area with better soil and a little more sun?

Hi Paulette
If they haven’t bloomed for several years, then its time to move them. They can be too deep in the ground or need more sun and better soil. Be sure to plant them in well drained soil, where “their feet are cool and heads are in the sun”

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:26:10 +0000

Nothing further has happened with the bulbils- they are still a little green and barely 1/2 a cm in width. The entire stalk is brown and shriveled, and I’ve watered the pot once every 2-3wks. Would it be ok if I place the pot, stem & bulbils et al, in the fridge for 4-6wks right now? I would rather the original plant re-bloom, so would appreciate your urgent response. I am away for about a month and would like to place the pot in the fridge before I leave on Monday.
Thanks!

Hi Ray
Yes, place the whole pot in a plastic bag in the warmest part of the frig. p.s. Cut off the brown stalks.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:57:29 +0000

We have an Easter Lily from this spring and it seems to be fading we live in a cold climate so it is to late to plant it in the ground. It is beginning to turn yellowish, do we need to cut it back and put it in a cool dry place? The people who aren’t really crazy on lots of indoor plants wants this one saved. Thanks for your help.

Hi Jamie
Once the stem turns brown, cut it off and store the bulb in soil in the cool, dark place. Be sure that the soil doesn’t totally dry out. They require a dormant period @ 40-50F for 4-6 weeks.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:09:34 +0000

Thanks for your reply. I live in Seattle (zone 8b). I also don’t have access to ground planting, only containers. Does any of that make a difference?

Hi Chelsea
The bulbs usually grow better outdoors but you can grow them indoors.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:40:33 +0000

Thank you! I saw all of the responses saying to let them turn brown, but these suckers aren’t just like.. little bulbs anymore. They’re little bulbs (maybe an inch across) with about 8 inches of leaves coming out of them and tiny little root balls. So.. I’m supposed to let these ‘die’ (turn brown) before I repot them or should I do it now? They’re really lose. They look like little plants but if you say to wait til they turn brown I will.. sorry, I’m SUPER NEW to gardening. I just feel grateful that a plant in my care actually LIVED let alone reproduced. I want to take good care of its babies!

Hi Chelsea
I’m assuming that you live in a colder climate? Time is running out but you can plant them in a protected area in the ground and let mother nature take its course. The lily bulblet will turn brown when the frost hits. The young bulblets are delicate and need pampering so make sure you if you plant them outdoors that you mulch the area after the ground freezes.
If you don’t want to plant them outdoors then grow them indoors in a sunny window and when then are done (turn brown) store them in the frig (40-45F)or cool spot covered in a plastic bag for 4-6 weeks. Growing them indoors may be the better option for this time of year (late Oct.). Just give them as much light as possible.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:19:49 +0000

Planting bublets
I’m so glad I found this site. I too have noticed a ton of these little “bulblet” thingies growing on my potted easter lily and had no idea what they are. They are bright green and have a little tiny bulb and 5 inch leaves coming off of them. Some even have little roots under the bulb. None of them have turned brown, but several are falling off into the pot. What should I do with these? Just refrigerate them? Or should I plant them in a shallow soil?

Hi Chelsea
See above comments to Ray. If you can plant them outdoors in soil. You can also plant them in shallow soil but then you will have to keep them in a frost free place for the winter.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:46:04 +0000

Thank you for your response. I will keep an eye on them & am quite excited about growing new plants from these!

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:59:19 +0000

My lily seems to have a mind of its own! I noticed that not only are the ‘bulbils’ becoming larger, but now they seem to have a growth from the centre; almost like a leaf! I’m watering the plant lightly every 10days, or when the soil looks dry. The stems themselves are almost totally brown, except for these mini bulbs along the stalk.
Would appreciate if you could advise what is happening with this very intriguing plant, since I have surfed around & can’t find anything related to the strange ongoings.
Thanks!

HI Ray
Sometimes the bulbils will start to grow leaves and even roots. Once mature, they drop off and you can plant them in soil or collect the bulbils and store them in a plastic bag in the frig for a few months . See this site for more info.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:21:50 +0000

Thanks for your reply- the new growth is now along almost the entire stalk! Am happy to see the new “bulbs” growing quite happily & there are even some now on the 2nd stalk which had browned about 6″ from the top down. Should I be fertilising at all? Or just plain water every 7-10days? Do I leave the bulbs on the stems? How big are they going to grow?
All the leaves on the stalk are brown and I’m wondering what my next steps should be?

Hi Ray
The new bulbils grow in the leaf axils on the stem. You can take them off when they ripen (turn brown). They should come off easily. Root the bulbils in narrow pots (pans). Plant in moist, well-drained soil and cover with 1/2″ of sand or grit. Grow in a frostfree place through next summer and plant the following autumn. Bulbils will take 3-4 years after autumn planting to bloom.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:05:21 +0000

Cutting back lilies
We moved into a house with lilies in the front garden. My husband recently cut back the stalks (they were dead or dying), but he cut them off nearly to the ground. Will this destroy the bulb or will it still return next summer?

Hi Amy
The bulbs should return next year, as long as the lily stalks were dead or yellowed, then all the nutrients were returned to the bulb for next year’s growth.