Cultivation

Winter protection for lilies

Lilium L.

An agrotechnical practice for protecting bulbs from freezing and excessive moisture, the choice of which depends on the cultivar group and climatic conditions.

In the reference 63 varieties crop Lily, where this is mentioned in the description.

The necessity of winter protection for lilies is determined by the cultivar's group classification. Asiatic, tiger, and LA-hybrids possess high frost resistance and often do not require protection if there is sufficient snow cover. Less winter-hardy Oriental, trumpet, and longiflorum hybrids require reliable protection or annual lifting of bulbs for storage at temperatures between +3 and +10°C.

The primary goal of covering lilies is not only thermal insulation but also protecting the bulbs from waterlogging, which promotes rot. For plants wintering in the soil, mulching with peat, humus, or pine needles up to 9 cm thick is applied, and spruce boughs are used for snow retention. Before the procedure, lily stems are cut down to the ground level or to 10–15 cm to eliminate the risk of spreading fungal infections through residual plant tissues.

General information about the subject — on the page Winter covering.

Sources8

Varieties of Lily mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.