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Ornamental Lillies

WhippetWhippet Posts: 145

I bought some ornamental Lillies (Gardeners' World Offer :)  ) and they have been fantastic. Pink and White huge flowers....they are now past their best and some have dropped petals.

My questions are, shall I leave them to die down or not? Is it ok to keep them in the pots they are in and will they need new compost next year? Can they stay outside over winter time or should I put them in a shed?

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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    Remove the spent flower heads so they don't waste energy making seeds then keep them watered till they die down.  Some liquid tomato food would help the bulbs build up energy for next year's flowers.

    I always move my lily pots to a quiet, sunny corner while they die down and then into shelter for winter so that neither the bulbs nor the pots get frost damage.   Depending on the size of pot and the number of bulbs in there, I re-plant every couple of years in fresh compost and usually find I have lots of offsets to grow on or swap with friends.  

    If they're staying in the same pot for another season I make sure the compost is weed free and that the top inch or two is either replaced completely or fed with slow release fertiliser for roses or tomatoes - helps with flowering and general health.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • WhippetWhippet Posts: 145

    Thankyou Obelixx   I'll follow your advice :)

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