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Ericaceous soil for oriental lilies?

debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
in Plants
Hi all, every year i plant my lillies in pots plenty of wellrotted manure and garden compost and every year I get a good display but just read in a gardening magazine that they need ericaceous compost??? Am I missing a trick? Love my lilies and they seem happy but now thinking I could do better. Any advice? 

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    The RHS thinks that a John Innes compost is best for lilies in pots. - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=459

    I grow mine in pots and have never used ericaceous compost and in my last house and garden the tap water was very alkaline.  No complaints from the lilies then and no difference now they're here and the tap water is neutral.
    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
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I never have either! Never heard of that.
    thats why I don’t buy gardening mags anymore, too full of contradictions.  Especially from Monty and Tit Marsh. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • lilysillylilysilly Posts: 511
    I once watched the Great British Garden Revival episode with James Wong about his love for all lilies. One of his lily experts he was talking to advised always using ericaceous compost when planting lily bulbs in pots. I think if memory serves he said lilies are happiest in ericaceous soil being woodland plants, he said it stops the bulbs losing vigour over time and waining away. I did have that happen with other lily bulbs in MPC.
    I have had tree lilies in ericaceous compost for 3 seasons now and the bulbs are now much bigger and the flowers are glorious. I do check the pots as l see their shoots first appear for vine weevil grubs and then add a little fresh compost and a sprinkle of fbb. 
    So in my experience l would advise it. A bag of ericaceous compost isn't much different in price from ordinary MPC anyway.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Maybe mine are ok because I use an Irish compost, has a lot of peat in it. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    It’s not the price I just never realised that’s what they liked? I feel like a fool now, never mind we live and learn will try the ericaceous this year. 
  • LittlegrowerLittlegrower Posts: 80
    Didnt realise lilies like ericaceous compost.. I have very healthy happy lilies in lime rich soil. 
  • lilysillylilysilly Posts: 511
    Debs l don't know why you would feel a fool. Your way of growing lilies was/ is already successful.
     I only changed to ericaceous compost after seeing the programme, and it did work for me swapping over. I have bought various oriental lilies over the years, and mostly they weakened away after a couple of summers. Maybe the high rainfall l get here in Devon doesn't help, and ericaceous compost is more free draining perhaps.
     I can't grow lilies in my borders as I'm on clay and they rot away or l forget where they are and put a fork through them. I also gave up on lilies for a couple of years because l got fed up of picking off the horrid lily beetles. If l had not chanced upon the show l wouldn't have bought any more bulbs and tried their advice because l do love the scent of lily flowers and thought one more try.
    I only mentioned the price of ericaceous compost as it was the first time I'd purchased it and l mistakenly believed it would be way more expensive. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Interestingly, if you look on Peter Nyssens's site, the recommended soil for lilies is neutral to alkaline.  ;)
    I grow some in the ground and some in pots. Our soil is largely neutral. I just use any old compost if they're in pots, mixed with a bit of garden soil, and it  gets a couple of inches changed over every year.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Mine do tend to lose vigour over the years I thought it was a result of producing little lily bulb babies. Lily beetles are vile aren’t they lilysilly? Hope they discover nematodes to kill them some time soon. I have some ericaceous compst I got for a camellia in a pot,I too was surprised how inexpensive it is, may give it a try as I am repotting all my lilies in my new cutting garden at the allotment. 
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