How To Grow Lilies in Containers Easily in 2023
- Author: Saiqa Najeeb
- Last Updated On: July 9, 2023
Do you want to fill your backyard or balcony with vibrant colors? Lilies sound perfect, right? Lilies have captivated many green thumbs for centuries. Now you can bring that charm to your garden.
Here, we’re going to break down all the necessary information you need to create a beautiful lily garden at your doorstep. You’ll get all the meaty details about how to grow lilies in containers, their growing conditions, planting and caring tips, and whatnot.
Ready to transform your space? Read on to explore!
About Lilies (Lilium)
Liliums are soft-stem perennial summer plants that do not need to be removed for storage during the winter season. The plant’s bulbs have white or yellow fleshy scales. The flowers resemble a Turk’s cap, with reflexed sepals and petals reaching a length of 6cm. Each blossom is then covered with an abundance of reddish-to-maroon spots. They are frequently used as cut flowers or on borders, as specimen plants, and for mass cultivation.
Read our comprehensive guide on Flower gardening 101.
Growing Conditions
- Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours.
- Soil Texture: High Organic Matter
- Soil pH: Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage: Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant: 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7b, 8b
Choosing lilies for containers
Almost all lilies thrive in containers, though taller varieties may require additional support. L. formosanum, Lilium auratum, L. longiflorum, and L. speciosum are all suitable species. A few suitable cultivars are the ‘Pixie’ series, which only grows to a height of 50 cm (20 in), and the short-growing (60 cm (2 ft) tall) Asiatic hybrids (such as ‘Apollo’ and ‘Côte d’Azur’).
Check out our list of 11 annual flowers for a cut garden.
Preparing the container for growing lilies
Before filling clay pots with potting compost, add a 5cm (2in) layer of drainage material, such as gravels or crocks If the drainage holes in plastic containers are elevated above the container’s bottom, they might not require this “crocking.”
Check out our guide on container gardening 101.
How to grow lilies in containers? Planting Steps
When to plant?
Plant bulbs in early October if possible, however, bulbs can be planted until spring.
Lilies can also be forced to bloom for indoor use. Asian hybrids, L. longiflorum, L. auratum, and L. speciosum are typical forcing bulbs available for purchase. These bulbs will have been kept cold in order to flower without the need for the natural winter chill. Forcing requires placing the pot into the warmth of the house or heated greenhouse, where it will flower six weeks after planting.
Planting density
Plant one large bulb of 10-12cm in a 20-23cm (8-9in) container, or three to four smaller bulbs (5-8cm (2-3in) in a 23-25cm container, based on what you want. Use only deep pots with a spacing of 5cm between bulbs.
Planting depth
Some lilies, like the Asiatic hybrids, only develop roots at the bulb’s base. Some lilies, like L. lancifolium, L. formosanum, and L. longiflorum, develop roots from both the base of the bulb and the stem directly above it; these lilies may require a deeper pot.
Lilies with basal roots (or those whose habit is unknown) should be planted at a depth equivalent to the bulb’s height. Plant stem-rooting lilies at a depth that is around 2.5 times the bulb’s height. The pointy tip of the bulb scales should point upward when planting the bulbs, with the basal plate—which has hair-like roots hanging from it—facing downward.
How to care for lilies?
Compost
Any high-quality multipurpose compost is suitable for growing lilies. If it seems too dense, add 20% by volume of each horticulture grit and peat-free multipurpose compost or leaf mould for improving drainage.
Lilies like L. auratum and L. speciosum, which dislike lime, should be potted in pure ericaceous compost. Lilies require a lot of food, therefore when planting them, add granules of controlled-release fertilizer. Make sure the compost is always moist but not soggy. Every two weeks during the summer, fertilize using a liquid fertilizer heavy in potassium, such as tomato feed. When branches start to develop, relocate plants to an environment of 18–21°C (64–68°F) to speed up flowering (i.e., force the bulbs).
After flowering
Repot the plants in the autumn once the foliage has died down, or move the bulbs to the garden. Lilies can be grown in the same pot for a second season in larger containers, but make sure the top 5 cm (2 in) of compost is replaced with new compost that has fertilizer or well-rotted manure added.
Overwintering
Keep containers in a cold greenhouse or frame that is well-ventilated, airy, and bright but not too cold. Many lilies in southern England are totally hardy and can be kept outside all year long in larger containers. To prevent frost, it might be essential to wrap the containers in bubble polythene throughout the winter in cold climates. Containers should be kept in frost-free sheds until spring in particularly cold climates or where delicate lilies are planted.
Containers should be kept in sheds, unheated greenhouses, or the rain shadow of a wall to prevent waterlogging. Lilies typically require cool winter weather to flower successfully, thus indoor conditions are not ideal throughout the winter.
Explore our guide on essential gardening tools guide here.
Time to Plant lilies!
Now that you’ve got to know the basics of how to grow lilies in containers, it’s the time to get started. Beautify your space with these gorgeous beauties in no time. Just a little effort and the right information is enough to have your blooming lily garden in your space.
Don’t wait any further, get your hands dirty, and enjoy the beauty of lilies around you!
Explore our growing guides further for Marigolds, dahlias, sunflowers.
