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When to cut back the Lillies?
little Poll
Posts: 49
in Talkback
Hi, when can I cut back the Lilly stems? The Lillies were grown in a pot and have finished flowering some weeks ago now. Can anyone help please.
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How much stem should be left sticking ubove soil level,first time poster so please excuse if it seems a daft question, new to gardening.
atlantic, welcome. and please never be afraid of asking any question, no matter how daft it might seem.
We all start with the first step.
I just leave mine to die down naturally and the stems kinda snap off when dried. If you want to cut them, I'd just leave a couple of cm above ground.
I just leave mine too Hosta. Since they're in pots, I can move them out of sight when they start looking a bit rubbish.
Mine still look perfectly green though - and they were flowering quite early too!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I trim lilies to about 5cm on each stem, what's left helps to identify the contents of each pot, trough or bucket holding the lilies. Springtime top-dressing generally frees those stalk remnants as I carefully delve off 4-5 cm of old compost & replace with fresh.
BTW: The 'discarded' stems can be cut into suitable lengths and used to boost the contents of the various 'Insect Hotels' I have dotted around the shrubberies! [The minibeasts happily excavate their way into the pithy stems, ditto with Dame's Violet and Teasel stems - the differing diameters seem to suit different beasties!].
very interested in your hotels David I have teasles and lily stems do not know what dames violet is? and would love to know more types of plant to use as homes for beasties
Thanks for all the replies, very helpfull.
Hello , mine are in the garden , so I dead head them and do like Hostafan , let them just die down , then tidy up eventually
Dame's Violet pic for benefit of "Conifer". Multiple flowers carried on 2-4' (foot) stalk in 2nd year. Slender seed pods form and tiny seed ejects readily when ripe! Basal floret forms in 1st year of growth. Bees & butterfies love its scented flowers!
*[Conifer: I generally save some seed each year - pm me if you'd like some].
What a lovely plant would love some seeds but have no idea how to pm? My computer knowledge is sketchy to say the least