How to Care for a St. Bernard's Lily

Determine if the lily is receiving full afternoon sun. St. Bernard lilies that do not receive enough sun become long and thin trying to grow towards the sunlight. Use a sun meter to determine how much sun the planting area receives during the day. Place the digital meter in the planting area in the morning, and read the meter after the sun begins to go down. If the meter does not read full or partial sunlight, you may need to transplant your St. Bernard lily to a sunny area.

Lay down 4 inches of organic matter to the soil of the planting area. Over time, the organic matter will add nutrients to the soil. Work the organic matter into the top 10 inches of soil with a garden rake. Rake around the stems of the

St. Bernard lilies.

Add a 1-inch layer of sphagnum peat moss to the planting area. Lilies thrive best in slightly acidic soil. The addition of peat moss will help to lower an alkaline pH level that may be present in the soil. Rake the peat moss into the top 3 inches of soil with a garden rake.

Sprinkle crystallized 10-10-10 fertilizer, at one-quarter of the recommended dosage, around the St. Bernard lily plants. Use a small hand spade to scratch the fertilizer into the top 1 inch of soil. Do not let the fertilizer come in contact with the St. Bernard lily at the time of application. Do this four times during the growing season.

Water the St. Bernard lily with a garden hose every day, beginning when the lily begins to bud until it blooms. Once the lily blooms you may cut back on waterings to every three or four days. Spray the water at the root of the St. Bernard lily. Do not wet the leaves of the lily plant.

Push a 3-foot stake into the ground next to the lily, if the lily begins to bend. St. Bernard lilies usually grow straight on their own. For ones that begin to bend, you will need to tie them to a stake using 2-inch pieces of cut pantyhose.

Pull off any dead flowers from the plant as they appear throughout the blooming season. Deadheading a plant will lead to bigger blooms, as the energy from the dead bloom gets redirected to new blooms.

Pull all dead leaves from the plant at the end of the season. If the St. Bernard lily is in zones 5 or 6, lay down a 6-inch mound of mulch all around the roots of the plant. The mulch will protect the roots from the cold winter.