Can you leave lilies in pots over winter?
1. Introduction
2. What are Lilies?
3. What is Overwintering?
4. Benefits of Overwintering Container Grown Lilies
5. How to Overwinter Potted Lilies
6. Preparing the Plant for Winter
7. Protecting the Pot from Frost Damage
8. Fertilizing the Plant in Autumn
9. Watering and Humidity Levels
10. When to Move the Plant Indoors
11. Conclusion
Introduction
Lilies are a beautiful and fragrant flower, making them a great addition to any garden! Whether grown outdoors in containers or planted directly into the ground, they can provide a stunning display of blooms during their growing season. Knowing how to properly overwinter potted lilies can ensure that they survive winter and come back strong in springtime, ready to bring beauty to your garden once again!
What Are Lilies?
Lilies are a popular flower among gardeners, with many varieties available for planting both indoors and outdoors. They can come in shades of white, pink, yellow, orange and red, depending on the species of lily chosen for planting in your garden or container pot. The most common type of lily is the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), which is usually white and blooms in early springtime. Other popular varieties are Asiatic lilies (Lilium asiaticum), tiger lilies (Lilium tigrinum) and Oriental lilies (Lilium orientalis). All of these types of lilies have one thing in common: they need proper care during winter if you want them to thrive year after year!
What is Overwintering?
Overwintering is the process of protecting plants from cold temperatures during winter so that they survive until springtime when temperatures warm up again. This usually involves bringing plants indoors or covering them with fabric or plastic to prevent frost damage from occurring on their leaves or stems during cold weather spells. If you are overwintering potted lilies, it’s important to also make sure that their pots don’t freeze as this could cause root damage that could ultimately kill the plant!
Benefits of Overwintering Container Grown Lilies
If you love having potted lily plants in your garden or home, then overwintering them is definitely worth considering! It ensures that they will come back strong and healthy each springtime without having to be re-planted every year – meaning you get more bang for your buck! Plus, as potted plants don’t require digging up each winter like those planted directly into the ground do – it can save you time and energy too!
How To Overwinter Potted Lilies
Overwintering potted lily plants is relatively easy – but there are some important steps you should take in order to ensure success! Here’s what you need to do:
Preparing The Plant For Winter
In autumn, it’s important to prepare your potted lily plants for winter by cutting back their stalks to just above the soil line – this helps prevent frost damage from occurring on the stems during cold weather spells! You should also discontinue watering at this time so that their bulbs don’t rot due to excess moisture inside the pot over winter.
Protecting The Pot From Frost Damage
It’s also important to protect your potted lily plant’s pot from frost damage over winter as freezing temperatures can cause cracks and other damage which could ultimately kill the plant! To do this, wrap insulation material around your pot like bubble wrap or burlap; if necessary elevate it off of the ground if there’s a risk of frost heave – this will help keep it warmer over winter too!
Fertilizing The Plant In Autumn
Autumn is also a great time for fertilizing your potted lily plants as this will help them store energy throughout winter so that they come back strong next springtime! If possible use an organic fertilizer like fish emulsion or bone meal which will provide natural nutrients for optimal growth throughout their growing season!
Watering And Humidity Levels
It’s important not to water your potted lily plants over winter as excess moisture can cause bulbs to rot; however, some humidity levels should be maintained inside their pots so they don’t completely dry out either – try using a humidifier if necessary!
When To Move The Plant Indoors
If temperatures drop too low where you live (usually below 0°C), then it may be necessary to move your potted lily plant indoors until springtime – especially if you live in an area prone to heavy frosts or snowfall which could cause severe damage otherwise! Moving it into an unheated garage or shed would be ideal; just make sure that humidity levels remain high so that bulbs don’t dry out over winter either!
Conclusion
With proper care and maintenance throughout autumn and winter, overwintering container grown lilies can ensure that these beautiful flowers survive until next springtime when temperatures warm up again – ready once again delight us with their lovely blooms! Following these steps should help you achieve success with all your container grown flower gardens year after year!
