Planting Oriental Lilies

Oriental lilies make up one of the two major groups of hybrid lilies; Asiatic lilies form the other group. Oriental lilies produce strongly scented flowers in late summer that reach 8 inches in size. Depending on the cultivar, they bloom in red, pink, white or purple. Oriental lily bulbs aren't as available as Asiatic lilies because of a short shelf life. They take longer to develop, and the flowers sometimes don't appear until four months or longer after planting, which is a straightforward process.

Hoe
Shovel
Water
Compost
Pickax
Rake
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Clear a planting site of vegetation and other debris. Select a location that receives full sun and offers fast drainage. If you are not sure, dig a 2-foot-deep hole and fill it with water twice. Time how long it takes the water to disappear into the bottom of the hole the second time. The site offers good drainage if it takes one hour or less.
- 2
  Incorporate 2 inches of compost 8 inches deep in the soil with a pickax and shovel or a tiller. Rake the area to make a smooth planting surface.
- 3
  Dig 6- to 8-inch-deep holes for Oriental lily bulbs in the fall. Space them about 1 foot from each other. Place one bulb in each hole and refill it with topsoil.
- 4
  Irrigate the bulb bed to a depth of 8 to 10 inches and cover it with mulch, such as pine straw or shredded bark.
- 5
  Begin to irrigate the bulbs in spring after the ground thaws and new growth pokes through the mulch.

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Bulbs