So my grandparents house went up for sale, but my dad was able to dig up the surprise lillies. I have been given some that bloomed this year, w/ the stalk still on it, and some that didn't bloom this season and were only bulbs... I planted them lastnight and mixed them up, thinking that maybe they only bloom everyother year or something. Does anyone know how they work? They're the kind that throw the leaves in the spring, then leaves die off, then end of July throw the stalk w/ flowers.
Surprise Lilies
I've heard or read somewhere it isn't unusual for them to take a year to settle in after being moved. Once settled in they should all bloom together.
Well they were all dug at the same time, and found some bulbls that hadn't bloomed this year (in their origional location) so this was before they were moved that they "chose not to bloom"
Probably just young bulbs that will mature in the next year or so.
ahh.. cool! I'm excited to see them bloom :)
You are only supposed to plant them 5 inches deep.....
Really? I have some bulbs that are easily 5" tall. The base of those get buried about 8" deep.
Yes, the burying depth for bulbs is measured from the soil surface to the base of the bulb. 5 inches seems a bit shallow for a mature bulb, IMO, Plants will grow fine shallowly planted, but then they come up too early in the spring, and the foliage gets decimated by frosts. The leaves are not very resistant to freezing if they are taller than a few inches, and they will reach 1.5ft. I had some planted too shallow once. Every year they would come up before the tulips, daffodils, siberian squill, Glory of the snows or any of my alpines, includeing pasque flowers - before anything showed life. The bloomed well, but I had to place a 8 gallon bucket over them during spring drops in temperature.
Everything I've ever read about these bulbs is that you don't plant them any deeper than 5 inches, 6 tops. I know it runs contrary to what you think you should do, but I planted mine the requisite five inches and they are fine and bloom their little hearts out. Some places call for you to plant them with their neck sticking out of the ground. I don't know about that. I've never had any problem with the leaves getting frosted off in the spring. Sure, they will sometimes get singed by a frost, but it's never slowed them down.
Leftwood, you are a zone colder than me, so your experience with freezes would be different than mine.
Moby, If you don't have a problem getting them to bloom and you plant them eight inches or so, have at it. I do mine at five and they are happy little campers. :)
I probably need to divide mine, they've been in the ground for probably seven or eight years in one spot. Maybe next year.... :)
Diann
My bulbs are certainly mature ~ they were well established at my old house when I moved in 12 years ago and have since been divided and relocated a few times. They bloom fine, by the second year, provided I haven't forgotten and decide to dig in their spot during that 'naked' post-foliage / pre-bloom period.
The only ones that I know of that like the nose exposed are the Amaryllis belladonna type which are not hardy in our areas anyway.
Welcome to DG and the lily forum, crazy4bts, hope we don't have you all confused!
Crazy4bts, but if you are confused, you'll fit in even better. :)
Diann
Thanks for the welcome!
I asked my dad how deep they were when he dug them, and he said "about 2 fists deep" I though heck, that's no help, his fist is a lot bigger than mine!
oh well, they're planed, and i'd say the bast is about 6-7 inches deep. They came from a z3 and i'm z5 so they were probably planted a little deeper to protect them from the hard frosts they get into May.
Since I've planted now, should they bloom next year??? I sure hate having to wait!
Aren't Dads funny? They tell you what you need to know, but not always in a real useful way. LOL I'm sure your bulbs will be fine as long a there is a 1-2 inches of soil on top of the nose.
I moved all of my bulbs last November and a few bloomed but most did not. Nice surprise from those that did as I didn't expect it. :)
I got some of these bulbs (I think the lady called them Naked Ladies) 2 years ago and not once have they bloomed. I don't think I put them any deeper than maybe 6 inches. I thought they didn't bloom because I am zone 5 and it was too cold for them here but I see you are all from 5 and even 4. Now I wonder what I might have done wrong with them? I think they are SO pretty and sure wish mine had grown.
Any advice as to what I may have done wrong? I have very acidic sandy soil...maybe that was it?
6 inches is the reccommended depth here. if you have squrriels 6 is the minimum depth.
Crazybts, you are just down the road from me. I live at Heritage Lake, over in Putnam county. We have to drive to Avon to do our shopping!!!
Hi Neighbor!! I'm familiar w/ Putnam County a little bit, I appied to work at the Prison briefly after graduating college...
Thanks everyone for the info on these suprise lilies, I'm excited to see these bloom, and it's going to be a wonderful memory of my grandparents!! They are 86 and 93, just moved out of their home of 48 years into a Sr area. we've moved some of their flowers to the new house but they had 1/2 an acre so I got 2 fig trees, 3 roses, a few ireses, a peony (transplanted in July, may not make it) and several of these suprise lilly bulbs. I've made a special garden for all of these and will add to it.
Your goodies from your folks will be a special reminder of them for a long time. It's it nice that gardens can be given such meaning. :)
Kim ~ have you gotten any foliage from your bulbs, this year or last? Can you describe how the bulbs looked as far as shape and color? There are at least 3 things that go by the common name of Naked Ladies.
It was 2 years ago but I'll try to remember.
The bulbs were nice and fat but no, there has been absolutely NO foliage. I'm thinking they were the naked ladies that are only hardy in the warmer zones and not my zone 5 Maine garden :(
What are the hardy ones called?
Off the top of my head ~ Lycoris squamigera are the most cold hardy, then Lycoris radiata (AKA spider lilies) needs a zone warmer and then there's Amaryllis belladonna which requires even more warmth.
L. squam. bulbs look like a big tulip bulbs with a long nose and a very thin, papery tunic. The reason I asked was because I was in the same position when someone in a warmer zone sent me bulbs, and didn't think twice when I planted them in the fall. It was too cold here for them.
I suppose you could try digging your bulbs to see if they're still there.
Moby's right, several things called Naked Ladies. And bingo again, it is exactly Lycoris squamigera that is the hardiest (and what I have too).
If it is any consolation, Kim, I received more than a dozen Lycoris radiata from someone in Texas this year. I had forgotten about them in 55 degree basement until mid June, but they were still in good condition. They were all different sizes when I planted them then, but not even one emerged.
A week later I received some Pervian Lily bulbs from a friend, in not so good condition. I planted them right next to the Lycoris radiata, and they are growing very nicely.
Thanks for the brain tickle Lefty ~ I think the bulbs that I killed were Peruvian daffodils. Do you know what they look like? These sort of looked like a small, white-ish, flattened potato.
Well, I sure would like to find some of the hardy ones then.
I think you are right, I'm sure mine were for the warmer zones and they are probably mush out there now after 2 Maine winters.
I keep learning something new every day.
Oh well... there are no failures, we just learn what doesn't work, right? ;)
A few members have them for trade http://davesgarden.com/community/trading/search.php?search_text=PFPID:517
Actually, I had so many L. radiata bulbs, that I was planning on leaving some in the ground over the winter. You know, you never know
(what might end up being hardy.) But alas, it was not to be.
The Peruvian daffodil bulbs were shriveling, but they were not that far off from looking like a regular daffodil - I think. All I really remember for sure is that there was nothing out of the ordinary, that they were light brown-yellow and I think I would have noticed if there was any flattishness about them. The color may have been due to the lack of water and shriveling. But they certainly didn't remind me of potatoes.
Then I have no idea what I killed. But then, if were aren't killing a few things, we aren't challenging ourselves as gardeners, are we? lol It's all good.