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Is something wrong with these lilies?
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Posts: 6
I’m pretty new to gardening and am trying to grow these lilies in a pot, but I’ve just noticed that there’s some odd pale flecks on the leaves and some of them have gone a bit lighter green in some areas, and some leaves have curled a bit, is this an problem? Could it be a disease?
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The biggest problem for lilies is lily beetle. They're red, and can be awkward to catch. A hand underneath when you poke them off is ideal, or something similar. They can decimate lilies, although it's mainly the grubs which do the most damage, and you may see those right in at leaf joints along the main stem. It looks like a splodge of muck - and that's what it is. The grubs cover themselves in their own excrement. Lovely eh?
Keep an eye out for those, and despatch them if you can. We don't get too many here, but they're rife in lots of areas.
Lilies like a decent, fairly moist soil to do well, so just make sure the medium in your pots doesn't dry out. If you're keeping them in pots long term, give them a few feeds as they die down, as that can help replenish the bulbs for the following year. It's a good idea to refresh the top layer of soil/compost at the end of winter, just before they get into growth again too. You may find you'll need to empty the pot every few years and separate the bulbs, and re pot them. They can multiply quite quickly if they're happy, and can get congested in the same pot over time
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...