A wonderful decoration for a flower garden is lilies. Caring for them is simple, but the most beautiful flowers delight the eyes at the beginning of summer with their colors and aroma. Do you need to do anything with lilies after they bloom and what serious mistakes in care can the owners of these flowers make?
No maintenance required after flowering
A common mistake among flower growers is to do everything to make your pet bloom, and then forget about it until next year. But in vain. Caring for lily bulbs in mid-summer gives you a boost of strength for the coming year. The laying of flowering buds for the next season also occurs during this period. In order to properly prepare the bulb for wintering and the next season, it is important to pay lilies your attention.
Leave flower stalks until autumn
Many flower growers do not cut stems that have already bloomed, citing the fact that no one cuts lilies in the wild. But in the wild, lilies are wild. But in the flower garden, varietal flowers need additional care.
After the flower petals have fallen, the flower stalks are cut to 20 cm; there is no need to process the cuts. This way the gardener will retain in the bulb the strength that would have been spent on providing this stem.
Fertilize only before flowering
Another common mistake is that complementary feeding should only be done to stimulate the release of buds. And flowers need support even after their petals fall.
Observing the bulb, it is easy to notice that after the flowers fade, it decreases slightly in diameter, as if it dries out.This indicates exhaustion. The plant gives all its reserves of strength to forcing the flower. Therefore, after flowering and pruning, you need to add liquid fertilizer to the soil under the stem. After processing, the bush is mulched.
Apply the same fertilizer before and after flowering
At different stages of the bulb's development, it needs a different set of nutrients to stimulate growth. Applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers after flowering will stimulate the growth of the green part of the bush, which will be a mistake.
To prepare for wintering and the formation of new flowering buds, lilies after flowering require phosphorus and potassium in a ratio of 2 to 1.
Incorrect application of fertilizers
You can also make a mistake when applying fertilizers. For example, it is easy to burn the roots of the plant. Or make sure that the fertilizers go deep into the ground without affecting the roots. Watering with fertilizers in dry soil will cause such consequences.
Before applying fertilizers, you need to remove all the weeds around the stems and loosen the soil. Next, it is important to water with plain water so that the soil is well saturated with moisture. After this, fertilizers are applied under the bulbs, about 1 liter for each.
Knowing just five mistakes in caring for beautiful lilies in the middle of summer, it is easy to create the right care. Proper preparation of the bulbs for winter ensures a blooming flowerbed for the next year.
