How to Delay the Bloom of Perennial Lilies

Perennial lilies fill the summer garden with color. Whether you grow Asiatic lilies with their fragrance, or oriental lilies, such as Stargazer, perennial lilies return year after year. Perennial lily bulbs are typically left in the garden soil during the winter. They never go dormant, and must be cared for like a perennial plant even when not actively growing, according to the experts at the North American Lily Society. They sprout in the early spring and bloom when roses do, typically June or July. To delay blooming takes some intervention from the gardener.

Gardening trowel
Scissors or pruning shears
Nursery pot
Potting soil
Peat moss

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until the perennial lily’s foliage turns completely yellow and dies back. Remove the bulb from the soil. Do not to injure the bulb when digging it up.
- 2
  Cut the foliage to within 1 inch of the bulb.
- 3
  Push the lily bulb into a pot containing equal parts of moist potting soil and peat moss.
- 4
  Place the potted lily in a dark area where the temperature is cool, but doesn’t dip below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. An unheated shed, garage, or in the refrigerator are good locations.
- 5
  Keeping the soil slightly moist at all times keeps the bulb fresh and the roots growing.
- 6
  Plant the bulbs outdoors in late spring. If the weather quickly heats up, the perennial lily’s stems may not grow as tall as they should.

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