A garden filled with booming Asiatic lilies (Lilium asiatic) are sure to be a hit at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. Cultivars such as “Matrix,” “Tiny Dino” and “Tiny Orange Sensation” are just a few that produce orange blossoms. To coax your Asiatic lilies to bloom a boatload of those blooms, certain conditions must be met, such as lots of sunlight, a great deal of energy saved in the previous year and adequate irrigation.
Grow Asiatic lilies in full sun in order that they are exposed to at least six hours of sunlight a day. For optimum health and flower production, the soil must be well-drained and rich with organic matter, such as compost. To accomplish this, then amend the top 6 to 8 inches of dirt with 3 to 4 inches of organic matter before planting bulbs.
Fertilize Asiatic lilies each spring when they emerge in the ground to help them bloom. Sprinkle a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 5-10-10, across every plant, then water it in with 1 inch of water. You may also use bulb fertilizer. Read the chart on the package to get the correct application rate, since fertilizers contain distinct concentrates of nutrition.
Preserve moist soil conditions year round by watering Asiatic lilies to approximately 2 inches deep when the soil is dry to the touch. They need to have sufficient irrigation to bloom. In fall after the leaf turns yellow, you can allow the soil dry out 3 to 4 inches deep before watering. Orange Asiatic hybrids, such as Lilium columbianum, Lilium humboldtii and Lilium pardalinum, can withstand drier soil conditions than other Asiatic lilies, according to Sunset Magazine. Water lilies in the morning so the leaf dries out before night, or water in the base. Wet leaf results in fungal diseasethat causes the plants not to bloom well.
Pinch off faded blooms to encourage your plants to bloom more. When the whole stem is finished, cut on the stem close to the bottom. Do not prune Asiatic lily leaf whenever it’s green, since it is photosynthesizing sunlight to energy. Should you cut off the leaf too early, then expect little to no blooms the next year. If your plants did not bloom this year, keep the leaf intact till they yellow, and they should bloom next year.
Divide Asiatic lilies which are overcrowding the space and are thriving fewer flowers than usual or not in all. Dig up the bulbs in the fall after cutting the leaf, and break apart with your fingers the bulbs which are now growing together. Replant around 18 inches apart, depending on the variety. Division is necessary every three to four years to maintain your lily garden thriving well.