lillies with yellowing leaves
Rachel7
Posts: 1
I planted some lilies a few years ago in two areas of the garden.The 3 I planted in one border were fine for the first couple of years but last year they all grew to full height, went yellow and droopy and shrivelled up. I thought the border might have become too shady as other plants had got bigger so I moved them into the second border where lilies were doing well. However, the same thing has heppened again. I couldn't see anything wrong with the bulbs when I dug them up and moved them. Any ideas about what could be wrong?
0
Posts
Lilies I just love them,but like you I planted what I thought were just ordinary lilies turned out to be tree lillies they grew and grew and were magnificant however tried to over winter them in a shed?? today have have from the original 40 now to about 10??they are good and healthy but only about 4' high nowhere like last year when they reached 6'.I spend all my time looking for those red devils that eat them and have squashed many but the leaves are going yellow on some,must be a secret somewhere to keep these beautiful plants going.Tina
Like both of you I love lilies and have a very healthy colony of them increasing in height and vigour every year. This collection includes my absolute favourite .....tree lilies. I have had my fair share of Lilly beetles which I hunt down in May and pick off by hand but these pests do not cause yellowing leaves. The most likely cause for this is that some varieties of lilies are intolerant of alkaline soil.....they need acid peaty soil and will not die straight away but just get more yellow and sickly each year. I garden on alkaline soil and have found that all of my tree lilies are happy about this as are most other lilies...but occasionally I come across a variety which objects so I then grow it in peat compost in a pot. I wonder Tina why you dig up and overwinter your Lilly bulbs in a shed...tree lilies (and most lilies ) are in my experience best left undisturbed and are quite hardy so do not need to be lifted. The only problem you need to look out for is possible slug damage when shoots first emerge and also severe frosts in early spring when the shoots are still short and tender and on frosty nights will need overnight protection with fleece or plastic lemonade bottles cut in half...unless your garden is very sheltered. Good luck to both of you!
Tallulah
ok thanks for that info Tallulah,my lillies are in pots and I now know thats not good enough for them,they need to be planted in the ground!!!! Will let them do there thing for this year as they are in full bud,but once over will plant them somewhere,my garden is very sheltered but still have severe frosts as I am in the midlands.Slugs and me big time war!! Tina