Crown Imperial Lily question, Please

Once the blossoms have faded can I cut them back??? and how far down shall I cut???? Thank you, Deb

Nice frits! Can't answer your question with any certainty but you could probably cut the stem at the top of the foliage.

With most bulbs removing spent blooms and preventing seed formation is a good thing, I'd assume its the same with Frits. You may get more helpful info if you post on the Bulb forum from folks with more expertise with them.

A gorgeous display you have there!

Thank you both...Deb

Yes, remove the spent flower head down to the first foliage on the stem. Most of the stem will still be intact.

These bulbs can be tricky to grow well, but you have done it - and beautifully!! Really nice planting there!! Is this the first year you've had them? I utterly failed twice with 2 different batches of these bulbs ( and not cheap, are they??) before I finally figured them out! Yours are very nice!!

. . . I finally figured them out!

What did you figure out that made them work for you?

Hi Leftwood~~
We have a local nursery called Dancing Oaks that always had a HUGE display of these bulbs blooming at our Home & Garden show every year. So after loosing these bulbs 2 years in a row, I asked them for advice. They suggested I put a really good layer of gravel mixed with compost in the base of the planting hole, like close to 6 inches of the mix. And then plant them really tilted to one side, not laying on their side, but tilted enough so water during our very, very wet winters didn't pool in the large hole where the stalks come out. They also suggested Greensand as a spring feeding, just as the floiage breaks ground and in the compost/gravel mixture at planting time, and then a small amount of a good balanced organic fert. after bloom to help rebuild the bulb for the next years blooms. I did all of the above and finally had success with all three colors I had bought from them that year - Orange, yellow, and deep red (my favorite!!) I am going to grow them in pots when my new ones come in Fall, as the wet that is so bad for them will be so much easier to control. But that's what finally worked for me. :-)

I'm so glad I found your thread. These are one of my favorite flowers, but I have never bought any because they are so expensive ($7.95 each everywhere I look). I just returned from Keukenhof in Holland a couple of days ago, mainly to look at the 70,000 tulip bulbs on show, and to my surprise they had tons of my beloved Fritallarias growing as well! They had the yellow and orange (my fav) everywhere. And I have to tell you, yours are MUCH better looking! The ones at Keukenhof were probably a week or so past prime, but I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed looking at your photo, it the best photo of them blooming that I have ever seen.

When posting photos, I guess we should never underestimate the help and impact they might be for other people. What is trivial to us can really turn out to be a great source for someone else. I think that is really neat.

I also wanted to thank you for passing on the GREAT planting advice. It obviously works and that is indeed valuable if I am to ever spend $8 for one bulb!

And who is your source?

Seems like I was seeing a few last year from $4-5 each. I think eflowergarden was one of the sources, and maybe VanEngelen too. Those and large Alliums would be good bulbs for several gardeners to split a bulk order.

these fella's started out two years ago as two bulbs I knew nothing about...a friend gave me a bunch of bulbs & I just stuck them where I could...the first year they came up it was a big surprise, had never seen them before, you can see how they've spread...they are in a bed that is probably 75% peat...I've never done anything except acouple times a season I pour fish emulsion on everything everywhere...I was going to divide them this year....now I'm scared to move them!!!! maybe another couple years....I'll move the peony that's in the way first!...thanks for the information

That started as 2 bulbs- WOW! You've got the touch with Frits! ...and didn't even know it, LOL

Depsi~
The peat has really worked for your bulbs!! Out where I live all the rain is really tough on Fritallaria bulbs, but 3/4 peat in a bed would sure help with that!! I love it when we get a new plant/bulb, and we do well with it, and then find out it is supposed to be a hard plant to grow... :-) This happened to me with some rock garden plants a couple years back LOL You have done a wonderful job keeping those bulbs happy if they are multiplying and blooming like that!! And if you want to move them, just give them similar planting conditions in their new spot and they should do fine!! You obviously have no problems growing this plant!! ^_^
Jamie

I bought one of these very early in the year when it was too cold to plant out so I had it indoors while it flowered (the smell was very strong and not that pleasant!). However it is now safely planted in the garden :) They are such striking plants. Lovely.

Yeah, they are sure not grown for the fragrance are they? LOL :-)

This is one of the pictures from last year....the first time they blossomed....It's funny but I've not noticed a fragrance....but then again, I raise stapeliads inside the house...now that's a smell!!!! Thanks again, all of you, for your encouragement!!!! It gives me courage....Deb

Oh Deb~
Just look at those big ol' stalks -- these plants are clearly happy and thriving!! You really have a touch with them!!

That whole bed looks great!!
Jamie

Thank you for the kind words, Jamie....the bed has become very crowded...right now there are alliums coming up from under the frits, there is a peony amongst them and an oriental poppy....this fall I am going to strip this bed & move it all to our front yard inside what we call our bird sanctuary which is fenced from the deer...all the bulbs will come out...last year I moved all the iris out, shasta daisy & moved most of the violets, thought I got all the oriental & asian lilies out but see them still popping up all over so will have my hands full in the fall....I have a really, really crowded iris bed right next d oor to this bed that will be stripped in July....they also will be moved all over the place...thank goodness we have some acreage!!!! I swear I could fill it all, just have to plant deer resistant things.....they do leave the iris & the poppies alone, thank goodness..this picture is our little sanctuary, still needs to fill in & provide more cover for the birds but we are getting there..have a great week....Deb

Beautiful! I've only had occasional luck with these and have not tried them for several years because of it. Many of them tend to "rest" for a year after blooming. So you're doing something that's very right for them!

Jamie, I appreciate the valuable planting instructions that you have provided here. I think I'll give them another try this fall and follow your instructions. All my previous ones must have rotted.

To me the fragrance (if you can call it that) is a lot like that of a skunk! But a very unusual (and beautiful) plant that you don't see in everyone's garden.

Congratulations!

This message was edited May 13, 2009 2:19 PM