Grow Stargazer Lilies

Lilies can be a great addition to any floral garden, as they are easy to plant and care for. While some varieties of lily are more fragrant than others, the stargazer lily is possibly the most aromatic. Care and maintenance of this variety takes some initial time, but when you learn how to grow stargazer lilies properly, they will multiply readily and provide you years of enjoyment.

Steps

  1. Choose an appropriate location in your garden to plant stargazer lilies. The ideal location will offer the lilies sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. The soil should drain well and dry quickly after rain.
  2. Purchase the stargazer bulbs in late fall or early spring, which is the best time for planting. The bulbs will have an opportunity to acclimate in the soil before beginning to bloom.
  3. Dig a hole with your garden shovel for each bulb. Each hole should be approximately 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 cm) deep and spaced a minimum of 6 inches (15.2 cm) apart from one another. This distance allows for ample growing room.
  4. Remove any rocks or hard clumps from the walls or the bottom of the holes you dug for planting. These obstacles will make growing the lilies more difficult. Take your shovel and loosen the dirt in the bottom of each hole, as this will make it easier for the bulbs to take root.
  5. Place a small amount of fertilizer at the bottom of the hole. The amount you add should just cover the base of the hole. Place the stargazer lily bulbs in with the pointed end of the bulbs facing up. Cover the bulbs with the unearthed soil, and loosely pat it down by hand to make sure the bulbs are covered.
  6. Cover the lily bed with a layer of mulch. Do this if you are planting the bulbs in the fall to add another layer of protection from the cold winter months.
  7. Fertilize the lily bed. Once the sprouts first become visible, add more fertilizer to give the lilies another boost of nutrients.
  8. Water sparingly, only when the soil is dry to the touch. Too much water will weaken the shoots and attract predators such as garden slugs or other pests ready to prey on your lilies.
  9. Finished.

Tips

  • If you plan to cut the lilies, cut only 1/3 of the stem along with the flower. Leave the bulk of the stem in the ground until fall when you can trim them back to the just above the surface of the ground. This will ensure that the bulb continues to get nutrients so it can produce another beautiful bloom next year.
  • For best results while fertilizing, choose a product that aids in potato growing. Use only a very small amount, since too much fertilizer will grow additional leaves but will weaken the lily's stem.
  • If your stargazer plants develop brown spots on their leaves, they are likely suffering from botrytis, which is a fungus that appears in cool or wet weather. Spray the leaves with a rose fungicide, which you can find at nurseries or hardware stores.
  • For optimal water drainage, create a raised flower bed with potting soil. The bed should be at least 5 inches (12.7 cm) above the ground surface and be large enough to plant your bulbs according to instruction. This will work particularly well if you are planting lilies in an area that may not dry out quickly after rain.

Things You'll Need

  • Stargazer lily bulbs
  • Garden shovel
  • Potato fertilizer
  • Mulch
  • Water
  • Rose fungicide

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