Lilies are among the most popular types of flowers that people buy. Planting lilies in your garden area will certainly be a very good choice.
To ensure that your lilies are as beautiful as possible, you’ll need to pay attention to where you’re planting them. They’re going to need adequate sunlight as well as good soil.
If you’ve never planted lilies before, then you might not be sure how much sun exposure will be ideal for lilies. Do lilies need full sun or are they fine in partial sunlight?
Read on to learn more about how much sunlight lilies need. You’ll also get other important advice about caring for these popular, beautiful flowers.
Lilies Do Best in Full Sun
Lilies are going to do best if you plant them in full sunlight. They like getting a lot of sunlight, and it’ll be good to ensure that they get at least six hours of direct sunlight daily.
When you’re considering where to plant the lilies, it’ll be important to keep sunlight in mind. The plants won’t do as well if you put them in a very shady area where they don’t get enough direct sunlight.
Of course, too much sun also has the potential to be a bad thing. These plants can get scorched if placed in full sunlight the whole day.
This is especially true if you’re in an area with very high temperatures. Hotter parts of the world might make it tougher to give the lilies direct sunlight for long periods of time.
You don’t want the plants to wilt or experience other problems. Thus, it’s wise to ensure that the lilies have partial shade during the hottest parts of the day.
It should also be said that many types of lilies can grow without being placed in full sun. Some lilies grow great in partial shade.
You might need to look up information for the specific type of lily plant that you bought. This will ensure that you’re following the recommendations for the plant that you have.
There Are Many Types of Lilies
Understand that there are many types of lilies that you can purchase. Different lilies are likely to have slightly different care requirements.
You might be taking care of canna lilies right now. They’re among the most common lilies that people buy.
There are also a large number of Asian lily varieties that are popularly sold in stores and online. There are tiger lilies, royal lilies, and stargazer lilies.
Truly, there are various options that you can choose from. If you want to understand the specific lighting requirements for your lilies, then you need to know what type of lily plant you own.
Generally, lilies do best in full sun, but that could be different for the type of lily plant that you own. You might have a variety that does better in partial sun.
Luckily, it’s easier than ever to get information about plans and their care needs. If you bought the lily plant at a retail store, then there’s a good chance that it came with a card of some sort.
This card should have the name of the lily plant on it. You’ll be able to know exactly which type of lily you purchased so that you can get the right information.
It’s also true that stores often sell plants with cards that have care information printed on them. You might have all of the answers that you need right on the card.
Plant Lilies in Well-Draining Soil
Most lilies aren’t going to tolerate soggy soil well. If you plant lilies in soil that doesn’t drain properly, then you could encounter various issues.
To keep this from happening, it’s going to be best to use partially sandy soils. Soil such as this will drain well and prevent the soil from staying too soggy.
If you’re going to be putting lilies in a pot, then you can buy sandy potting mix from the store to utilize. It’s also possible to make your own sandy potting mix if you can’t find what you need.
People often buy normal potting mix and then just add a bit of sand to it. For the ideal potting mixture, mix two parts potting mix with one part sand.
If the lilies are being planted in the garden, any well-draining soil should work just fine. You simply want to be sure that the soil doesn’t retain moisture too well since that can keep the lilies from drying out between watering sessions.
Don’t Overcrowd the Lilies
Overcrowding the lilies will not be a good idea. Lilies need space to spread out a bit if you want them to be in the best condition.
Trying to put too many lilies in the same area will not work out as well as you want it to. It’s also a bad idea to overcrowd the garden with other plants.
You want to give the plants enough room to grow. Lilies might be sort of small to start out, but they will grow over time.
It’s also important to ensure that the sunlight is able to get all around the plant. When you overcrowd the garden area, it makes it so that only a portion of the lilies will receive sunlight.
Watering Advice
Watering is going to be a crucial element of caring for these plants. All plants need water, but you have to learn how to give the plants the right amount.
As noted earlier, there are many different types of lilies out there to choose from. Each lily type might have specific water requirements that you should pay attention to.
Regardless, it’s good to know that lilies generally like moist soil. The soil should be wet, but it should never be soggy.
Soggy soil will be very bad for the lilies. You want to be careful about over-watering since that can lead to significant problems.
When rainfall is less than one inch in a given week, you should water the plants. Try to keep the soil moist.
It might be easier to lay down some organic mulch so that you’ll have some moisture retention. The mulch helps with moisture retention without preventing the soil from draining properly.
Final Thoughts
Lilies are going to do nicely in full sun, but you need to be careful. You want to give the lilies around six hours of full sun each day, but if it’s too hot, you might encounter issues.
Find a good spot where your lilies can receive enough sunlight. If you’re caring for potted lilies, then it’ll be easy to just give them morning sunlight and then move them to a shaded location to keep them protected.
If the lilies are in your garden, then just pick a spot where the lilies won’t get full sun the entire day. Do your best to protect the lilies if necessary so that they don’t wilt or get scorched.
It’s also important to plant the lilies in good soil. Sandy potting mix works well for potted lilies, but you can use any soil in the garden so long as it drains well.
Organic mulch can help with moisture retention without preventing proper drainage. Just do your best to care for the lilies and you should be happy with how things turn out.
Taking the time to learn a bit about various lily types might be useful, too. There are so many different lilies out there that you can purchase.
You should be able to easily find lilies that suit your needs. Enjoy them to the fullest and keep looking after them as well as you can.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.