Lily is one of the most common and popular flowers in gardens. A huge variety of varieties, a wide range of colors and ease of cultivation allow you to create spectacular flower arrangements on the site.
Like all cultivated plants, lilies need fertile soil and occasional fertilization. Feeding lilies, regular watering, loosening - these are the basic rules of care.
When to fertilize lilies for the first time?
The first feeding of lilies is done in early spring, immediately after the snow cover has melted. Any nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to the soil. An excellent option is ammonium nitrate at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. per 1 sq. meter.
Those who prefer organic fertilizers can use fermented mullein for irrigation (fresh mullein is not suitable for this purpose due to aggressive pathogenic microflora) at a ratio of 1:10.
Ash water (a glass of ash per bucket of water) is also good as fertilizer. It is worth noting that the introduction of ash has a beneficial effect on the development of lilies. Can you bring it indirectly into the ground or periodically watered with ash water all spring and summer. Feeding lilies in the spring is necessary if the bulbs are planted in a new place in April-May.
In this case, well-rotted compost soil is introduced into the soil (it is better to use ready-made disinfected compost) or leaf humus. Do not apply fresh manure, even mixed with the ground, as there is a high risk of rotting of the bulbs along with it.
Feeding lilies during flowering
During the spring processing of garden plants, you can spray the shoots of lilies with Bordeaux mixture. You will not cause harm by this, but save the plants from pests that parasitize on lilies - there are several dozen species of them. Proper care and timely application of the necessary nutrients will allow you to grow beautiful lilies (photos of some varieties are presented below).
Moisture-loving lilies need watering, especially at the end of summer, when lush flowering and bulb ripening begins. Plants are watered strictly under the root (without touching the leaves), in the morning or afternoon.
During budding, lily feeding is done in the same way as in spring. In addition, you need to carefully mulch the soil with a layer of sawdust or mowed grass. Intensive evaporation of moisture leads to drying out of the soil, which is highly undesirable for lilies during the growing season. Water that gets on the leaves can provoke diseases. In addition, you need to water not often, but plentifully. Only then the water reaches the roots of the lily, and does not linger in the upper soil layer. very harmful andoverheating of the soil, it affects the life processes in the bulb.
The composition of the soil also plays an important role. If the lilies grow weak or begin to change colors over time, this means that they need to be transplanted to a new place. The soil is needed not too acidic, without the admixture of clay, well fertilized with leaf compost or rotted humus. Loose fertile soil cleared of weeds, good drainage and timely moisture contribute to active growth and lush flowering of lilies during the summer season.
