Under Glass 
LILIES 
Lilies are becoming more and more popular in 
the home greenhouse. This is as it should be for 
they are the most stately of all our bulb plants. 
Perhaps the new introductions by Jan De Graaff 
have had something to do with it because now, in 
addition to the whites, we can have them in beau- 
tiful color. 
Last year we had excellent results in our experi- 
mental greenhouse with a number of Jan’s va- 
rieties. Bulbs planted in late October and grown 
at 55 degrees at night, flowered just in time for 
the New York Flower Show (March 17th) where 
several were exhibited in the Men’s Garden Club 
Greenhouse display. Varieties that did especially 
well were FirEFLAME, mahogany red, slightly 
spotted with black or deep maroon; VALENCIA, soft 
orange to rich yellow; CamprireE, fiery Indian red; 
VAGABOND, salmon-orange; and Pacopa, a true 
orange-chrome or Marigold orange. 
Culture 
Bulbs should go in 5 or 6-inch pots, depending 
upon their size. Smaller pots will not give them 
sufficient room to develop a good root system and 
larger pots are not necessary. Coarse soil that is not 
too rich in nitrogen is best to start with since high 
nitrates will inhibit root action. It is beneficial to 
add superphosphate at the rate of 7 tablespoons to 
a 16-qt. pail of soil (4-inch pot per wheelbarrow, 
2% bushels). Nitrogenous fertilizer is better added 
later after growth starts. After potting, water well 
and place pots in a cold frame or beneath the bench 
until roots are formed. This should take about 7 
or 8 weeks. The bulbs should not be allowed to 
freeze, however, so do not leave them in a frame 
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too late. While a light touch of frost will not be 
harmful even to the tender Croft lies, bulbs will 
not make root growth at low temperatures. Some 
authorities recommend keeping lilies definitely on 
the dry side until growth has started. Others advise 
watering freely. They maintain that limited water- 
ing tends to dwarf the plant as well as reduce flow- 
ering size. It is probably best to keep the soil mod- 
erately moist until growth starts. Our experience 
with very heavy watering of hardy bulbs in the 
beginning caused rot. You soon find, however, that 
after very heavy foliage has formed the plants need 
plenty of water. In fact, if the soil at the bottom of 
the pot is permitted to become dry, the lower leaves 
drop off. 
Fertilizing regularly after the plants are 4 inches 
high with a complete liquid fertilizer or nitroge- 
nous fertilizer such as nitrate of soda or ammonium 
sulphate prevents leaf burn. Plants in acid soil that 
are not fertilized every 2 to 3 weeks have light 
foliage which later turns brown. If the soil is very 
acid (less than PH of 6.0) apply ground limestone 
to change the PH at least above 6. Fertilize with ni- 
trate of soda if your soil tends to be on the acid side, 
or ammonium sulphate if it is alkaline, mixed 1 
level teaspoon to a gallon of water. Later when 
plants are taller, a stronger and complete fertilizer 
should be used such as 2 tablespoons of 5-10-5 
fertilizer plus 1 tablespoon of nitrate of soda or 
ammonium sulphate to a gallon of water. One half 
pint of this solution per plant is satisfactory. 
If possible, grow lilies first at 55°. Later when 
buds are visible they can be forced faster in a 
warmer location of 60°. It usually takes 5 weeks 
from the sign of leaf buds to maturity. — From 
Under Glass, Sept.-Oct., 1952. 
