When to Transplant Ditch Lilies?

Transplanting Process

• Transplant the ditch lily as soon as possible after lifting or after the bulb is available. Place the lily bulb approximately 5 to 10 inches below the surface spaced and about every 6 inches. Place larger bulbs deeper than smaller bulbs. Supplement the soil with 5 lbs. of a 20-percent phosphate fertilizer for every 100 square feet of flowerbed. Water the new planting to help the bulb begin growth.

Fertilizing

• Early spring fertilization helps the lily bloom. Apply a fertilizer of 5 percent nitrogen and 5 percent potassium along with 10 percent phosphate at a rate of 1 lb. per 100 square feet. Complete the spring fertilizer before the first blooms of the spring, which can come as early as May, depending on local conditions.

Let Them Bloom

• Ditch lilies bloom from the early spring through the fall. The ditch lily is a wild lily and grows without any fertilization or care in the wild. Native to Asia, the plants often grow to nearly 6 feet tall without care in their wild state. Controlling aphids in the flowerbed helps prevent the spread of diseases within the lily plants.

Lifting Lilies

• Growers lift bulbs for sales or distribution in the late fall. While the bulbs never go dormant and stop all growth, they do go through a resting period after fall frosts have ended foliage growth. Lifting and transplanting the bulb to a new location works best during this period.