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Lily of the Valley

Kay8Kay8 Posts: 216
in Plants

image

 

I have searched the internet for an answer and have got nothing... I really hope someone can help. (I don't know why pics keep uploading sideways)... this lily of the valley keeps showing little tiny crystal like things in the soil. When I water, they disappear and then come back... I have not used any fertiliser on them or anything but I am wandering if the garden centre did before I bought them?

How should I care for this plant? Should I plant it outside or?

Thanks

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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,128

    I suspect the crystals are water retaining gel used by growers to conserve moisture in the pots.

    Yes, plant the poor thing outside - it won't be at all happy indoors - it needs moist humus-rich soil in a fairly shady place - if you can get the conditions right it'll spread and you'll have a carpet of fragrant flowers in springs to come. image

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=522 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    Dove, what kind of soil do they like; they grew like anything in my London garden on a baking hot rockery; here in the Fens, carefully planted in a moist shady area they just dieimage

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,128

    Hi Artjak image

    At my granny's garden when I was a child, they ran rampant on well-drained loam with a lot of leafmould in a north facing bed against the house where they got dripped on by inefficient guttering.

     When we left our last place I'd just about got them going in well-drained city dirt with the addition of lots of compost, FYM, and leafmould, this time in a northfacing garden against a shed wall with a constantly dripping gutter.

    I've not yet decided where to try them here - the guttering is too good.  

    The constant factors seem to be leafmould and drips. image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    I've never really got them established here. In my mother's garden they were rampant, very hard, dry, gravelly soil but in the shade.

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,109

    Oh good - I've got a leaky overflow...image

    I meant the house...image

    Plenty of drips living round here Dove, I just  need the leaf mould!  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • star gaze lilystar gaze lily Posts: 17,620

    I've got leaf mould, just need a drip! image

    I find them quite hard to grow, but in my mums or nans garden they just went on and on image

  • Kay8Kay8 Posts: 216

    Right, I'll put it in the garden then... ha-ha! I read that they couldn't be put into the garden until after their first flower, but I think you're right... it's not doing well inside!!!

  • summerwinesummerwine Posts: 83

    I could never grow them at our last house but when we moved we discovered some growing in a small shaded area near the house wall and they're thriving, fingers crossed, and I leave them alone so hopefully that'll continue. image

  • Kay8Kay8 Posts: 216

    Hopefully, summerwine image. I'll pop mine outside this weekend, I might plant it in a shaded corner of the rockery?

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