Lilies: Growing In Containers / RHS Gardening

1. RHS Home
2. Gardening Advice

Lilies: growing in containers RHS Advice Guide Lilies grow well in containers, where they can be positioned for maximum effect in the garden. It's a great way to grow these stunning plants, especially if you can't grow them in your garden.

By The RHS Advice Team

• Quick facts
• Suitable for...
• When to plant lilies
• Planting lilies in containers
• Aftercare
• Problems
• See also

The new app packed with trusted gardening know-how

Download app

Quick facts

Suitable for - All lilies

1

Timing - Plant autumn or spring, or summer for bulbs prepared for forcing

2

Difficulty - Easy

3

Discover RHS Gardens for free with an RHS Membership

25% off

Join today

Suitable for...

Almost all lilies grow well in containers, although taller types require some support. Suitable species include Lilium auratum, L. formosanum, L. longiflorum and L. speciosum. Suitable cultivars include the short-growing (60cm (2ft) tall) Asiatic hybrids (e.g. ‘Apollo’ and ‘Côte d’Azur’) and the ‘Pixie’ series (only 50cm (20in) high).

When to plant lilies

Ideally plant in early autumn, although bulbs These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes. can be planted until spring.

Lilies can also be forced into flower for an indoor display. Bulbs commonly sold for forcing Artificially speeding up a plant’s growth, flowering or fruiting, usually by manipulation of temperature and light. Rhubarb and chicory can be forced in late winter by covering with a forcing jar or bucket, or by placing potted plants in the dark, to produce earlier, paler, sweeter growth. Hyacinths and other spring bulbs are often forced, so they flower earlier indoors. include Asiatic hybrids, L. auratum, L. longiflorum and L.speciosum. These bulbs will have been kept in a cool environment in order to flower without natural winter chill being necessary. Forcing involves bringing the pot into the warmth of the house or heated greenhouse, for flowering around six weeks after planting.

Planting lilies in containers

Gardener, blogger and allotmenteer Bryony Willis, shows you how to grow lilies in containers for a stunning summer display.

Preparing the container

Place a 5cm (2in) layer of drainage material, such as crocks or small stones, in the base of clay pots before beginning to fill with potting compost Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. . Plastic containers may not need this ‘crocking’ if their drainage holes are raised off the bottom of the container.

Planting density

Plant single large bulbs These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes. (10-12cm (4-5in) diameter) into 20-23cm (8-9in) diameter containers, or plant three to four smaller bulbs (5-8cm (2-3in) diameter) into 23-25cm (9-10in) diameter containers. Allow 5cm (2in) between bulbs and use only deep containers.

Planting depth

Some lilies, such as the Asiatic hybrids, root from the base of the bulb only. Others, including L. formosanum, L. lancifolium and L. longiflorum, produce roots not just from the base of the bulb but also from the stem just above the bulb – these lilies may need a deeper container.

Plant basal-rooting lilies (or those whose habit is unknown) at a depth equal to the height of the bulb. Plant stem-rooting lilies at a depth roughly two-and-a-half times the height of the bulb.

The bulbs should be planted with their basal plate (which has hair-like roots hanging down from it) facing downwards, and the pointed tip of the bulb scales pointing upwards.

Compost

Although any good multipurpose compost is suitable, soil-based John Innes composts are easier to manage in terms of watering and feeding. John Innes No 3 is recommended for most lilies. If it appears too dense add 20 per cent by volume each of horticultural grit and peat-free multi-purpose compost or leaf mould to improve drainage.

Some lilies are lime-haters (e.g. L. auratum and L. speciosum), and should be potted into pure ericaceous compost. John Innes ericaceous compost is recommended.

Lilies are heavy feeders, so add granules of a controlled-release fertiliser when planting.

Aftercare

Ensure the compost Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. is moist at all times, but not wet. Feed with a high potassium liquid fertiliser such as tomato feed A potassium-rich liquid feed to encourage flowering and fruiting in various plants, not just tomatoes. Take care to follow the instructions on the packet. every fortnight during summer.

To speed up flowering (i.e. force the bulbs These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes. ) move plants to conditions of 18-21ºC (64-68ºF) when shoots appear.

After flowering

Re-pot in autumn when the foliage dies down, or transfer bulbs to the garden. In larger containers, lilies can be grown on for a second season in the same pot, but ensure that the top 5cm (2in) of compost is replaced with fresh compost with some added fertiliser or well rotted manure.

Overwintering

Ideally keep containers in a cool but frost-free, airy place with strong light, such as a well-ventilated cold greenhouse or frame.

In southern England many lilies will be fully hardy and can be left outside in larger container year round. It may, however, be necessary to wrap the containers in winter with bubble polythene in cold areas to protect against frost. In very cold areas, or where tender lilies are grown, keep containers in frost-free sheds until spring.

To guard against waterlogging, stand containers in the rain shadow of a wall or keep in an unheated greenhouse or in a shed.

Lilies usually need cool winter conditions if they are to flower well, so indoor conditions are not suitable over winter.

Problems

Red lily beetle is one of the main pests affecting lilies, but they can also suffer from grey mould and slug and snail damage.

See also

RHS Lily Group

RHS Guides, you may also like

• Category: Advice

  Bulbs: propagation

  Many bulbs readily multiply by producing offsets without any help from the gardener. But as well as taking advantage of this, it is quite simple to grow more of your favourite bulbs using just a few other techniques, including scaling, bulbils, seed and division.
• Category: Advice

  Container maintenance

  Growing plants in containers is a great way to bring life and colour into otherwise dull spots in your garden. Patios, balconies and window boxes are all places where plants can be easily introduced in containers.
• Category: Advice

  Lily diseases

  Lilies suffer from a number of fungal and viral diseases. The most common in gardens is 'lily disease', which is a fungal leaf infection.
• Category: Advice

  Lily beetle

  Lilies (Lilium), giant lilies (Cardiocrinum) and fritillaries (Fritillaria) can be defoliated by lily beetle.