Can Asiatic Lilies Be Preserved?

Preserving Cut Flowers

• Pinch or clip off the leaves near the bottom of the stem so no leaves are placed in the water. Then fill a vase with warm water and a floral preservative packet. You can also make your own preservative. There are several homemade recipes, such as 2 tbsp. of sugar, 2 tbsp. of white vinegar and ½ tsp. of chlorine bleach for every quart of warm water. Recut the bottom of the lily stems at a 45-degree angle. Make a sharp cut and put the stems in the water. Keep the lilies out of the sunlight and in a cool area of your home, free from drafts. When you're away, put the flowers in the refrigerator so they'll stay fresh longer.

Drying the Flowers

• A simple way to dry Asiatic lilies is in the microwave. Fill a microwavable container about half full with a flower drying silicon gel, available online and where crafts are sold. Cut the stem off your lily just below the bloom. Then stick the flower in the gel stem-side down. Carefully cover the flower with the gel, working it with your fingers to cover the entire flower head. Add more silicon gel if necessary. Place the container in the center of the microwave and a bowl of water in the left corner of the microwave. Heat the flower for about two minutes on high. Allow the gel to completely cool, about four to six hours, before taking out the flower. It is ready to set out and dry.

Preserving the Bulbs

• Asiatic lilies are extremely cold hardy. They will overwinter well in some of the coldest climates in the United States, such as those in northern Minnesota. In these cold climates though, mulch your Asiatic lily garden heavily with 4 to 6 inches of mulch, especially where snow coverage is not reliable and with newly planted bulbs. Add mulch in the fall after the plants die back, the foliage is cut off and the ground freezes. Leaves, wood chips and sawdust are some good mulches to use.

Growing Tips

• Plant Asiatic bulbs in the early fall before the first hard freeze or in the spring, when the ground is workable again. Grow them in full sun with at least six to eight hours of sunlight during the warmer months. Deadhead spent flowers with a pair of sharp clippers so the Asiatic lilies will use their energy for flower production rather than seed production. Fertilize Asiatic lilies in the spring with a fertilizer high in phosphorus, such as one labeled 5--10--10, following the application rates written on the label.