Can Potted Lilies Be Planted Again?

To transplant lilies, find a sunny location and follow these steps:

1. Find a sunny location and follow the steps to harden off, plant, prune, and fertilize your lilies for a continuous display of beautiful flowers.
2. Learn how to grow lilies in pots, when to plant, feed, water, and overwinter them.
3. After flowering, re-pot or transfer lilies to the garden if possible.
4. Group, separate, and propagate lily bulbs from pots or bags into your garden in the fall or spring.
5. Learn when and how to separate and replant lily bulbs every three years to prevent overcrowding and promote more blooms.
6. Re-pot in autumn when the foliage dies down or transfer bulbs to the garden. In larger containers, lilies can be grown on for a second season in the same pot, but ensure that the top 5cm (2in) of compost is replaced with fresh compost with some added fertiliser or well rotted manure.
7. Water thoroughly immediately after planting and then begin watering again as soon as new foliage emerges.
8. The best time to remove lilies from pots and re-plant them is after the tops have died back, as the nutrients in the tops drain back into the bulbs.
9. After they die back this Fall, pull them back out and separate the bulbs and replant.
10. Experts recommend late September or early October as the best time to move lilies and start transplanting them once they have been lifted.

Can potted lilies be planted outside?

The answer to whether a potted lily plant can be planted in your garden depends on the type of lily. If it is an Asiatic lily, you can plant it after it blooms, but you should cut off the spent blossoms before planting. Leave as much of the stem and leaves as possible. For example, if you received a potted orange-red pixie Asiatic lily for Mother’s Day, you can now have at least 50 orange pixie lilies in various gardens from that pot. If you received Oriental lilies, they may or may not come back as they are not as hardy as Asiatic lilies.

Can I transplant lilies in summer?

If your lily garden is at risk due to new patio or city road/water/power line work, you can safely relocate them by digging up the entire clump with a good root ball of soil. Fill a hole slightly larger than the required size with water and loose soil to create “mud”. Place the entire clump into the hole, filling in and gently tamping loose soil around the root ball. Use just enough water to firm the soil and withhold water until the soil has started to dry out, typically 7 to 10 days.

This method should only be tried under emergency conditions, as the best time to transplant is in the fall after foliage has matured. Avoid giving the bulbs extra water to cover “transplant shock” and stop watering until the soil is dry at least two inches below the surface.

Do potted lilies come back every year?

Lilies are summer flowering bulbs with large, showy, and fragrant flowers. They are perennial and return each year if planted in suitable conditions. Commonly cultivated and sold are Oriental lilies, which are fragrant and prefer acid soil or ericaceous compost. Asiatic lilies, like the Martagon and Turkscap lily, have attractive petals and recurved petals, prefer neutral soil, and do not have a scent but have striking flowers.

Do lilies multiply in pots?

Lilies multiply and require lifting every 2-3 years to avoid becoming pot bound. They can be planted bulblets, which take a couple of years to establish. Lilies are toxic to cats and dogs if consumed, so they should be kept out of reach of small children. Lily pollen is poisonous to cats and dogs, but it must be ingested. Lilies are pollen-free, but there are now numerous options like Roselilies and Double Oriental Lilies. If you’re concerned about stamen, remove it as soon as it opens and avoid placing it near pets.

Lilies prefer a cold dormant phase and can stay out in winter. If you’re worried about leaving them out, store them in peat until replanting the following spring. To prevent waterlogging, tilt pots on their sides over winter and lift them upright in the spring.

How do you transplant potted lilies?

Transplant your lilies carefully, avoiding damage to shoots. Dig the bulbs and replant them in the desired spot, ensuring proper soil drainage. If planting from pots, choose the correct soil type for the lily type, such as oriental lilies preferring acidic soil and asiatic lilies preferring alkaline soil. Hybrid lilies, including tree lilies, can thrive in any soil type. If the bulbs have baby bulblets, divide and replant them, as they will mature over time. For a boost, give your lilies a diluted tomato feed.

What do you do with potted lilies after flowering?

To grow a lily plant, choose a deep pot with three bulbs in one, ensuring at least 5cm between them. Use a free-draining all-purpose compost, as lilies do not like soggy soil and can rot if too wet. Add slow-release fertiliser to the compost if desired. Plant bulbs by the end of March for good root development, or in autumn if not waterlogged. Lilies require regular feeding and watering, with liquid seaweed or tomato food being ideal. Deadhead once when flowering is over to continue photosynthesis and replenish the bulb for future flowering. If pots are full of spring flowering bulbs, consider planting them in a plastic pot.

Lilies only bloom once a year, but can be extended by combining other plants in the same pot. For example, a pink Thunbergia using Lilium regale stems as a climbing frame or a Spanish Flag climbing up Lilium ‘Africa Queen’ stems. These combinations provide color for five months from June to October.

Selecting a mixture of varieties with different flowering periods can help. Asiatic lilies flower before oriental varieties, with Lilium regale AGM, L ‘Africa Queen’ AGM, and L ‘Casablanca’ AGM being personal favorites. Tree lilies, or Orienpet lilies, are crosses between asiatic and oriental lilies with the best qualities of both. They grow tall but may take several years to reach their ultimate height, so a solid pot is needed to avoid blowing over.

Can lilies be dug up and replanted?

In early fall, dig and divide Asiatic, Oriental, and other garden lilies (Lilium spp) by carefully separating the bulbs and planting them immediately. If planting is delayed, place the bulbs in a plastic bag with lightly moistened peat moss and refrigerate. Plant large bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, while small bulbs should be 1 to 2 inches deep. Lilies thrive in well-drained soil in full sun, with large bulbs blooming the following summer.

When to divide lilies in pots?

Lilies can be divided in autumn when the leaves have died back, by carefully digging around the clump, removing bulbs one at a time, and replanting them in a new spot. Smaller bulbs can be potted up to grow to flowering size. Lilies grown in containers can tolerate cold but prefer winter wet conditions. If you have a cold frame or cover the pot with a cloche, keep it covered to keep it dry. Plant lily bulbs in the garden or pots by the end of March, watering in dry spells.

Do potted lilies need sun?

Lilies require full sun for optimal growth, with six hours or more being essential. They prefer low-growing annuals, perennials, or grasses to keep their roots cool. They prefer rich, but not overly beefy soil, with Orienpet lilies tolerant of a leaner diet. Drainage is crucial, and they prefer to be planted in a berm or raised bed to allow water to drain away from the bulbs. A pH of 5. 5 to 6. 5 is best for lilies.