Too Late?

Hi all. I ordered a bunch of Lilly bulbs (callas, orientals and asiatics). One of those end of the season sales. They should arrive in the next week or so. Will they be OK to go ahead and plant or should I wait? They will be in pots and brought in to overwinter. The reason I ask is that I planted some late last year and not one of them lived. I would hate for these to fizzle out too.

scoolie,

I would wait....maybe keep them in soil and keep them in the refrigerator until planting time in the fall...especially the liliums. The callas should be OK to go into the ground or pots (keep them moist), but the others will likely not do well...it is just too hot here this time of year and lily bulbs need cool soil to root properly. I have made the mistake of planting lilies here in May and June and the results were not good. I have several Asiatics in pots from last year and mine returned this year and bloomed (some in pots are blooming now), though they do get shade a good part of the day and have an eastern exposure when they do get sun. Make sure the bulbs stay moist but do not get waterlogged as lily bulbs are sensitive about moisture. In my opinion, in this area, Orientals are best left in the ground, planted deep, as this helps maintain a more consistently cool temperature, as they do NOT like intense heat.

Thanks Steve. I'll plan on planting the Callas and keeping the rest cool.