Caring for potted lily bulbs for successive blooms

This year, we've given you some amazing lily bulbs! Many of you have enjoyed these potted beauties for your patios and balconies. But how do you go about it so you can enjoy them year after year? Here are some tips to help you with this incredible mission!

The main obstacle, of course, is our winter climate. Even though lily bulbs are hardy, planting them in pots exposes them to the risk of severe frost, which would likely jeopardize their survival. Therefore, it's best to prioritize planting them in the ground for beautiful blooms year after year.

Lily bulbs are planted in spring, around May (once all risk of frost has passed) and often give you incredible blooms throughout the summer.

Once flowering is finished (at the end of summer or beginning of autumn) it is important to follow these few steps:

• Cut off faded flowers to prevent the plant from wasting energy producing seeds.

• Leave the foliage until it turns yellow and dries completely: thanks to the phenomenon of photosynthesis the leaves nourish the bulb for its future flowering.

• Continue to water moderately and fertilize a little (balanced fertilizer rich in essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).

Then, you need to prepare your bulbs for overwintering (in autumn, early winter)

We recommend two processes:

1 - You can leave the bulbs in the pot throughout their wintering.

When the foliage is completely dead, it is very important to cut it back.
Then we invite you to place the pot (well drained) in a cool, dry, frost-free place such as an unheated garage, an insulated shed, or a cool cellar (4-10 °C). Caution! Do not water the bulbs during the winter because they are dormant.

Bring it out again once all risk of frost has passed next season and resume watering and fertilizing.

2 - Another technique is to remove the bulbs from the pot during the winter.

In a similar vein to dahlia tubers, you can remove lily bulbs from the ground during the winter to store them above ground for replanting next season.

To do this, remove the bulbs from their pot (you can discard the soil to avoid phytosanitary risks). Let them dry well for a few days in the open air (without direct light!) because any source of humidity could cause the bulbs to rot during storage. The ideal is then to store them in newspaper, dry sand, wood shavings or vermiculite in a dry and cool place (around 5 degrees Celsius). You can check your bulbs several times throughout the winter to ensure that the bulbs are not affected by excess humidity or if they are not too dry. This will allow you to adjust their storage conditions if there is a problem.

Once winter is over, spring returns!

It will be time to plant your bulbs around April or May once the risk of frost has passed. You will need to replant the bulbs in rich, well-drained soil.

Place the pot in the sun or partial shade. Lilies like the sun to ensure their flowering but also like to keep their roots cool, which is more difficult if they are planted in a pot. This is why it is recommended to place them in places with a little shade, unlike lilies planted in the ground. If exposed to full sun, it may be useful to mulch the surface of the soil (straw, coconut mulch, BRF, etc.) to allow the lily to retain its moisture.

In order to support them in this new flowering cycle and indicate to the bulb that the dormant period is over, it is important to resume watering and fertilizing as soon as growth resumes.

With these few basic tips, all you have to do is enjoy your flowery terraces and balconies!