Comments on: Stargazer lilies

By: Joy

Joy — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:02:26 +0000

No fragrance
My husband purchased a vase of stargazer lilies for Valentine’s day.
There are several. I have gotten them for years and love their sweet smell, usually they smell the whole house.
These lilies, however, do not smell. They are beautiful and look like the lilies I have received for years, but no smell. I am so disappointed. Can you tell me why my stargazers don’t smell?
Every bloom has an anther in it. I have never had one that does not smell. He paid 95.00 for them and we feel gyped.

Hi Joy
Stargazer lilies are known for their sweet fragrance. In the past I have experienced some stargazers that did not have any fragrance. Some factors that can make flowers loose their fragrance are 1. air pollution 2. ethylene gas exposure 3. genetic engeniering. Growers try to improve the size,color, longevity of the flower through hybridization and in the process they sacrifice other traits in some cases fragrance. I would complain to the company that sent you the flowers

By: Guille

Guille — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:37:53 +0000

Oriental lily in zone 11
I bought an oriental lily plant yesterday at the supermarket and would like to keep it alive. I’ve read prevous posts for information but still have questions. What type of food should I be feeding it and how often. Also, I live in zone 11 where our summers are very hot and winter temps arrive in Dec – Feb. Do I bring potted plant inside garage for those months or dig up and place in refrigerator.

Hi Guille
Stargazer is hardy in zone 4-9. It lily needs an 8 week cold treatment at 35-36F before it can rebloom again. If you cannot provide a cold treatment outdoors, then you will have to store it in the frig and plant the bulb in the fall so it grows in the cooler part of the year. See comments Storing lily bulbs 11/21/06
You can fertilize the plant after it is done blooming with a balanced 10-10-10 or a 5-10-10 once a month.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:21:03 +0000

Hello, I would like to plant a stargazer lily in Brazil. I am not a native from here so I am clueless about the soil/weather. I know that summers are humid and hot and winters pours out rain like crazy. Is this a good condition for them to be outside in the garden or should I limit for the inside?

HI Brenda
Stargazer lilies need a cold period of 8 wks. @ 36F which I don’t think you can provide outdoors in Brazil.(Not sure) It can be grown outdoors during the summer and then you would have to dig it up and store it in the frig. Best thing you can do is to check out the neighborhood or garden centers and see if they grown them. You can also grow them in containers.

By: Moyra

Moyra — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:21:49 +0000

Winter storage in warm climates
Aloha,
My mother in law bought me a pot of beautiful and in bloom stargazer lilies! I transplanted the plant immediately into a bigger pot and kept it indoors, moving it to a well lighted spot indoors during the day and occasionally moving it outdoors in indirect sunlight. The petals have all fallen off and now the leaves have yellowed and are falling off. After reading the posts, I gather I need to take care of the bulbs to ensure that I will get another set of blooms from the same plants. I’m a bit confused as to how I can do this as we live in Hawaii and therefore do not have a winter period of temperatures near what have been mentioned for the bulbs. Please help! I love my plant and would love to enjoy it for much longer.
Aloha.

Aloha Moyra
Once the leaves turn yellow/brown, fall off and you will have brown stalks which you can cut off. To give it a winter dormant period you need to store it in the frig.
Here’s how: leave the bulb in the pot or plastic bag in peat, or spagnum moss and keep it moist-not wet. Too wet will rot the bulb.The bulb and roots must not dry out or it will die. You need to store this pot or bag in a refrigerator. Keep away from fruits and vegetables as the ethylene gas they emit can damage the flower inside the bulb. Periodically check for molding or shriveling. The bulb needs 6-8 wks of cool dormant period after which you can repot and grow again. If you see the bulb sprouting take it out of the frig and place it in a sunny window or outdoors.
Aloha

By: matt

matt — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:08:35 +0000

I would like to grow stargazers in the winter inside my house. is this a good idea? i love there scent and would like to growth them for my wife year round. any suggestions?

Hi Matt
Stargazer lilies can be forced indoors but it isn’t always easy. A greenhouse would help. You need lots of sun and temperatures in the low 50’s at times. Between bloom, stargazers require a dormant period for at least 6-8 wks at around 35 degrees (frig) before they can be forced again.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:12:44 +0000

Bulblets on lilies
I dug up my lilies to move to another location, should I separate the little “cloves” or keep them as the clump that I dug up? Will the “cloves” make their own plant and will it flower? thanks for your answer

Hi Jane
The little “cloves” are bulblets which can be separated from the main bulb and replanted. Plant them in moist potting soil twice the depth of their size. They will make their own plant and eventually bloom (3-4 years).

By: Gayle

Gayle — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:08:55 +0000

I previously stated my stargazer lily has turned pure white. If I should dig up the bulb, and let it rest for a week or so……could that possibly bring back the color?
If not, what should the ph level be in the soil?
Thanx!!

HI Gayle
Stargazer lily is a hybrid lily-a combination of a white and red gene. The white gene seems to be dominant over a weaker red gene reverting the color to white. The fading color seems to be a common problem. We cannot always tell why the color changes just that there are some factors that can effect it, sun, temperature, ph, and age . The ph level should be 6.5-6.8, if your lily has been in a container then the ph can easily change just from watering. Once the color changes, I don’t think it will revert back to the original pink.

By: Gail

Gail — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:57:48 +0000

I’ve been buying stargazer lily bulbs in pots with blooms on them for about 5 years. I plant them within 5-14 days and have never had a problem with them. But I have never had any extra shoots come up from them, I’d love to. Can you give me step by step directions of what to do. Also what will happen if I cross pollinate the plants?
I just found this website and am very impressed.
Thank you.
Gail

Hi Gail
What part of the country do you live in?

By: Gayle

Gayle — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:41:22 +0000

I have had my stargazer in a pot for three years and it has successfully bloomed beautifully every year…getting larger and larger!! It is 5 foot tall this year, but, the blooms are pure white? Why? Have I done something wrong?
Thanx!!

HI Gayle
Sometimes the dominant color gene takes over and changes the color of the flower. Color change can also be due to change in soil ph or mutation.

By: Tara

Tara — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:11:21 +0000

Hi There,
I recieved my first lily last month, from The Lily Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It had 4 buds on it and 2 fell off, there is however one that is HUGE and it looks like it will bloom any day.
Do I have to put it outside? Should I wait until spring? The winters are quite cold in Alberta so it has me concerned.

Hi Tara
Fall is a great time to plant your lily in the garden. Stargazer lilies are hardy. If you are concerned plant it a little deeper and mulch after the ground freezes. You can also keep it indoors but will have to store the bulb in the frig because it needs a dormant period to grow again.