To Shorten Lilies?

Mary Ann · Post by **Mary Ann** » Jan 31, 2008 5:26 pm

OK, you lily people. Have any of you headed back lily stalks to keep them shorter? Mine are all very tall in an unattractive way, sort of like sore thumbs.

Post by **Chris_W** » Jan 31, 2008 6:04 pm

Hi Mary Ann,

I'm not sure that it is possible other than using some kind of growth hormone. I've seen lily stalks get their tips frozen and once the growth tip was lost they failed to bloom at all.

I try to keep my really tall onces towards the back and between other plants. The really tall Orientals get planted right at the base of large clumping plants like peonies and baptisia. This way you don't see any of the stalks, or not much of them.

Maybe others have some better ideas?

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » Jan 31, 2008 8:38 pm

I always cut mine back in the fall to about 4-6 inches.

martagon · Post by **martagon** » Mar 22, 2008 8:40 pm

You can't shorten lilies. They only put up one set of buds a year. |If you cut that off,there will be no bloom that year. Make sure they have plenty of sunshine.
If you find that they are leaning, it may be that they are not in full sun -- they're getting only morning sun, or only afternoon sun, and will lean.
As well, if they are up against the house, they will lean into the sunshine.

Mary Ann · Post by **Mary Ann** » Mar 22, 2008 10:25 pm

Thanks for the replies. They can be moved in early spring, right?

viktoria · Post by **viktoria** » Mar 23, 2008 6:47 am

It is better to move them in the fall.

martagon · Post by **martagon** » Mar 23, 2008 9:06 am

You can move them in the spring, - it's just a bit trickier. Be sure to take plenty of the soil that surrounds the bulb. Be careful digging down. The stem may wander a bit from where the bulb actually is, so trace down carefully.

It's better to move in the fall, but if you need to have the bulbs in a new location, it can be done.

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Mar 23, 2008 10:54 am

We have moved them in both periods but fall is a better time to give them a better chance to bloom. We also have taken the bulbs when they get huge and split them and replanted to get new plants that were smaller. I tend to play and do not recommend this unless you know what you are doing.

I agree with martagon's directions on the spring moving, the more you take the better off the plant will be.

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 23, 2008 3:41 pm

Thanks for the clarification martagon. That's what I thought, that once the terminal growth was lost so were any chances of blooms.

I haven't had trouble digging and transplanting in spring, (and even have done just fine tranplanting bulbs in the sumer), I just recommend doing it early and be careful not to damage the bulbs or new shoots.

Can't wait to get out there and start harvesting bulbs myself, but it is painful looking out at a thick blanket of snow this time of year

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Jun 04, 2008 10:17 am

I noted those that we have up next to the house that got to much of a mulch cover are shorter this year as they are now just blooming. But the mulch that was thin spread on some of the lilies made them shoot upwards to well over 4 feet.