Lilies as cut flowers...

Hi,
I want to make my DMother a bouquet of flowers using some lilies. However all of them don't have long stems.
I was hoping for some suggestions. I only have 3 blooming at the moment, the kind that have 6 to 10 flowers in a bunch. Also some ideas on how to keep them longer as cut flowers :*)

Thank you much,
intercessor

I cut them in the early am before the sun and heat hits them. I cut them about 1/3 down on the stem, strip the leaves and get them in water, If you change the water and trim the ends every couple of days, they will bloom all the way to the end of the stalk. As the older blooms start to fade, just clip them off. A suggestion for the short stemmed ones. Maybe you could fasten the bottom of the stem to a slender stake and put that in the water to hold the lily up higher. Just make sure the water level is well above the cut end of the lilly. I find that mine last just as long in the vase as they do in the garden, as long as I keep changing the water and making a fresh cut on the end, about every other day at least. Good luck!

When cutting lilies for bouquets you might want to cut off the pollen. Lily pollen stains so florists usually remove it so it doesn't drop onto something and make a mess.

Thank you for the suggestions :*)

i hope u know that if u cut those blooms, particularly for liliums, that u have to wait a couple of years before they will bloom again for u. i learned it the hardway some years back. had to wait for 2-3 yrs. before they bloomed again.

u are better off to buy some bouquet at the store or florist rather than risk waiting for the unknown next bloom. jmo

Perhaps it depends on your climate and how much of the stem you remove. I cut lilies all the time for people, never more than one third of the stem. . Mine usually bloom the following year.
inanda

i do not know if either one of us is right or wrong. a friend of mine that lives in Canada, advice me before not to cut the flowers off. but stubborn as i am, i had to prove it to myself. like i said, i learned the hard way. from that time on, i had to plant some on the ground and some in pots. that way when they bloom, i can bring the potted bloom indoors.

it is ur plant, do as u wish. just sharing some bad experienced here.

You should be able to safely cut lilies as long as you don't take more than 1/3 of the stem. The lilies need the stem to generate energy for new blooms next year. If your stems are extremely short, it is probably because they are new, immature bulbs. Please give them a year or two to grow up before you start to cut.

I cut mine every year - I never thought not to... I have mainly stargazers, casa blancas, black beauties and dizzies... a few Tom pounce and some others, They ALWAYS come back every year. I do fertilize before, during and after. Plus I use Spray-N-Grow. My lilies are gorgeous every year... I also never cut more than 1/3 of the stem.

I love them as cut flowers - for myself and for friends! I've been cutting them for years with no bad effects.

I too cut my lilies...I have casa blancas all over the house...try to make the stem as short as possible the first time I cut. This year I planted about 50 pots of different lilies...that way I dont have to cut the shorter ones...but have them in the house....when they bloom..just bring them in and plunk them down in a nice pot...I have had lilies since May. Cant imagine leaving that scent or those glorious flowers outside. I too use spray and grow...and this year I will add messenger...but I would say cut and enjoy....just leave some leaves on and water and fertilize like your other plants, until the end of the summer...dont ignore it like its done its thing now its done....it would like some water and feeding still.

It is the same for me! I cut the lilies as soon as the bud shows some color, try to leave 2/3 of the stalk in place, and mine bloom their heads off every year. I have noticed that some of the immature bulbs will have stems between 12-18 inches and will have maybe one flower. I leave those in the garden, clip off the top of the right below the lily flower once it goes, in order to prevent it from going to seed and using up its energy.