Asiatic Lily Not Growing?

Question:

I planted an Asiatic Lily from a 6" pot in full sun in April. I have a few new leaves coming out of the ground but the original stalks are doing nothing. I have fertilized and the plant is in full sun. I don't see any growth on the plant after the original flowers dropped. What am I doing wrong?

Hardiness Zone: 6a

Paul from Detroit, MI

Answer:

Paul,

Don't worry about your lilies. It sounds like your lilies are in a good sunny spot, and hopefully you provided them with some good well-drained soil. As long as you see some green foliage now, they will probably be just fine.

As you mentioned, your lilies did flower after you planted them this first year. Right now they are settling in and trying to adjust to their new location.

When lilies are planted in the early spring, they usually produce shorter, later-flowering stems. This is especially true if warm summer weather arrives early. Your lilies will need to pass through another winter in order to get back on schedule and "reset their clocks" to their new growing conditions.

Don't give them any more fertilizer. It's best not to over do it-especially during this first year. Too much will promote weak stems by diverting too much of the lily's energy into above ground growth.

If your original stalks formed seed pods, you can go ahead and cut them off. Leave as much of the leafy stem as possible though, so the plant's energy goes toward building up bulb reserves for next year. Once the stems turn brown and die this fall, you can clip them back to the soil level in order to tidy up your beds.

Over the next two year they will establish themselves and you should see lots of gorgeous blooms.

Ellen