Planting Lilies

Lily Hardiness
Many Asiatic hybrid lilies are hardy as far north as the Great Lakes, New York and along the eastern coast into New England. They can grow wherever winter temperatures do not often dip below -20°F.

Locating And Planting Lilies
Lily bulbs are commercially available in the spring and through to late summer. Normal planting time is the fall, so plan to keep them chilled until them. Chose a sunny spot with light, well-drained, loamy soil that is slightly acidic (pH 6.0). (A few more delicate woods lilies prefer partial shade). Like most bulbs, lilies dislike wet, clayey soils. If necessary, build lily beds higher than the surrounding soil surface and add some organic material like sand, chopped leaves or peat humus, to promote good drainage. Try to loosen the soil down 2 feet when preparing the soil for planting.

Plant the bulbs with their tops 4 (smaller bulbs) to 6 inches below the soil surface. This gives their actively growing roots room to spread. Point their growing tips upward and press their rounded bottoms into the soil, using a slight twisting motion to assure good soil contact for the root plate. Fill the rest of the hole with enriched soil, then cover the bed with mulch to protect it from heaving in winter and to keep the roots cool in summer.