Hi,
Has anyone ever noticed smaller bulbs giving of bigger stems than bigger bulbs? I planted some small asiatics (1.25" across) that are putting up bigger stems than orienpets/asiapets (1.5"-2" across).
I am referring to the first years growth after planting. I realize it is common for stunted growth the first year, and that Spring planting is even more stressful, but I found it interesting that a bigger Silkroad could be outdone by a small asiatic bulb. How do your monster Buggycrazy stems look?
Big bulbs vs. smaller
My Buggy Crazy bulbs had the winter to settle in and they are looking great. I did plant some LAs this spring and those stalks look to be larger than the asiatics I planted this spring. The orienpets planted this spring, mainly from Lily Garden & Faraway Flowers, look to be large stalked, more than the asiatics I have planted.
I must say, since we are talking stalks, this is an oriental called Pep Talk, in its fourth year, the stalk has been 5-6 feet tall in other years, and has never needed support, not common in my oriental experience. It has even produced some offspring in the last two years. Here it is. Perhaps I have a lily tree after all, hee hee hee ;0)
It could be just a question of maturity. Personally, I like the more immature bulbs as they seem to settle in better and live longer.
I find that OT's take time to settle in. Mine get bigger and better every year. No instant gratification here. On the other hand a small asiatic bulb will throw up a nice stalk and bloom. More often than not, I am amazed with the response of an Asiaitic. It's gotta be the genes. The Ot's I have just get bigger and better, and better stalks every year! You can't change Mother Nature.
That is what I have been seeing in some of my bulbs. It seems that some asiatics put up a stem that is large for their size. After the first growing season though, orienpets beat asiatics hands down.
On a side note I have several lilies with buds already. Which I find a little odd since I only planted some 4-6 weeks ago. I suppose the clocks and stress level the bulbs go through cause this.
I was expecting this to some degree, small plants and few buds, for newly planted bulbs. It is hard to wait for mature plants though...
This message was edited May 11, 2007 6:56 PM
Patience, Grasshopper.
I don't think it is fair to try to compare size of bulb verses stalk when you are talking about compeletly different lilies. Within the asiatic group or within the orientpet group would be more logical.
Never had to stake a lily yet, although that's kind of why I shy away from the species henryi.
I was under the assumption that orienpets in general got bigger plant & bulb wise. So I was surprised to see that newer planted, bigger orienpet bulbs were putting out skinny stalks compared to some of my newer planted asiatics. I would have thought that the reverse would have been the case. Somewhat disappointed.
Well, they do, Andrew. You just need to wait for them to grow up. It takes time and energy for the bulb to establish itself in your garden. It needs to rebuild roots and position itself correctly and whatever else it does. This is true for even those huge monsters that Buggy sells. If the root system is not there or badly damaged, it needs to regrow. I know some people who would tell you that you should not allow a first year lily to bloom, so that all the energy can go into the bulb. Anyone who can actually do that, probably has a much better showing during year 2 than someone who allows the plant to bloom during year one. I'm not one of those people who can do that. Letting a lily develop seed also takes a lot of energy, so I recommend you not do that for the first year.
Two years ago at the NSLS Bulb Sale, I saw a Sheherazade bulb that had to have been about 20 inches around. I 've never seen a bulb so big and it was dug out of a garden here in the Twin Cities somewhere. I believe I was told that the typical height for the stems from that bulb was in excess of 7 feet.
This is the stuff I like to learn. Yeah, I like the flowers and all and there are ones I will permanently keep, but I am not willing to expand my entire yard into garden (too much work), so in time things must go to make way for the new. Seems to me the first time Sarabande (OT) came up I thought to myself the same thing, but didn't really think anything of it, until now. Thanks Andrew.
I just love Henryi, Schez. and Black Beauty, tall and all. They are some of the most striking flowers in my garden. Stake or no stake, I love them. That what makes the world go 'round, all of us with different tastes and preferences.
Sometimes lilies like to throw you a curve ball.
A few years ago I planted 'Midnight' (trumpet) in the fall, the following spring 3 of the most spindly, pathetic stems came up and produced no flowers at all. I thought that perhaps the location wasn't the best so it was moved in the fall.
Checked my records and came to realize that I had planted only 1 bulb and it was in the process of splitting. Now, in it's 3rd season, I have 4 healthy stem coming up. So, there's always hope.
This is Leftwood, getting a mental image of a lily throwing a curve ball.
Probably mad cuz you parked your bike on them....
Hi everyone,
It seems I'm only the Southern Lilies' lover here. I've noticed most of you from zones 4-5. Am I pushing my luck with Lilies? Though, so far, so good. Here is my newly Pink and Yellow spider lilies.....They're about 6 feet tall, and need staking.
p.s. I'm partial to bigger bulbs, though depends on varieties. If one vender offer smaller bulbs and another offers same variety's bulb that are bigger -- you bet cha, I'd choose the bigger ones. Like most perrenials, bulbs or not, patience to wait until they mature at their pace. I'd choose a more robust, disease-resistance, robust plant/bulbs that I can find.
Here is the yellow spider.
Cool ~ I especially love those pink tigers.
You're not pushing your luck but you are toward the southern limit for the growing range. Steve in Ft. Worth, Texas grows many lilies and is in the same zone as you. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/723022/
I've never heard the term spider applied to L lancifolium (previously classified as L tigrinum). Your pink is commonly known as Tiger Rose. I don't know what the yellow is called, but I believe it is also a tiger. I believe there is one called Golden Tiger, but I don't recall ever seeing a picture of it.
There are some plants known as Spider Lilies, but they are not Lilium and they are generally grown in the south rather than the north.
Once again, it's imbiguous to call plant by common names (some are not so common). My fault. I should have done some research before I post these. The other Southern spider lilly, (once again, I SHOULD) look them up by their botanical names. .... Ah, Tiger they're! beaker_ch, thanks for the correction. I do remember now. The OTHER.... I've those too. But I shall refer to them as their correct names when my memory comes back. :-)
Lily_Love, at least you didn't call it a lily tree ;0) We all have old fashioned names for some things. No problem.
Mag;
Thanks for being forgiving. That was my invention of calling a rose by a different name, which didn't work. LOL.
Kim
hee hee Some of those down-facing lilies can be kinda 'spidery', some are called 'butterflies'. No matter ~ pick an insect that suits you! ;)
The praying mantis lily.
OOooo, that could be interesting! A really curly/wild one could be called 'fighting mantis'
Moby; are we still in "typing" term? I like those "fighting Mantis" I spotted some dragon fly today, those are lovely too. Can I call my Tiger lily, Dragonfly lily?
Are those mantis native or did you buy the eggs?
Of course L_L! We tease a lot around here.
Last year we cut down a Sumac (Tree of Heaven) and it was loaded with the mantids. Guess the green and the brown don't get along?
Moby; Thanks.
Chances are they're males fighting for territory. :-) Why on earth did you have to cut down Tree of Heaven? May I ask.
Kim
'Tree of Heaven' is really a tree from hell ~ weed trees. The females drop loads of seed and they come up everywhere.
I didn't mind this one so much since it was a male, but it was growing about 2 ft. away from the foundation and starting to rub on the eaves.
Here I am happily lopping it's head off. :)
Why on earth did you have to cut down Tree of Heaven?
Kim made a funny.
Or, is this a riddle? I'll have to get into Zen mode and contemplate . . . teehee.
Let us know how you come out on that, Lefty.
LOL, need I be in a Zin mood to disclose my intention? lol
Oooouuuhhhmmm . . . . ooouuuhhhmmm . . . . .