Can you comment on lilys in pots please

15 years ago

I just love the lily pictures. I'm afraid here in zone 7, voles love lillies too much for me to put them in the ground. Found The Lily Garden and purchased enough for 12 large containers worth.

Can others comment as to the success of lillies in pots in zone 7? I have had a few in pots in the past and they seem to do OK. I was a little concerned when I found that my tulips had rotted over the fall, but the lillies seem to survive the recent wet winter.

I have the choice of leaving without cover over the winter period , or storing underneath a deck. I wasn't sure if dry cold was better than wet cold. And, cold is defined as minimum of about 5 degrees normally. Any comments would help.

Comments (5)

alina_1
15 years ago
Hi Randi,
I live not far from you - in Maryland. I do not have problems with voles eating my bulbs. Do you have them in your garden? You can use wire cages for protecting your bulbs in the ground.
I was growing Lilies in pots for some time. They will need some extra care compared to Lilies planted in the garden. First, the pots have to have excellent drainage. Standing water will kill bulbs in no time. Second, freeze/thaw cycles in winter will turn your bulbs into mushy mess. Also, you will have to change the soil in pots once a year or so. I also protected my potted plants from heavy rains because plants become chlorotic (rains wash out the nutrients from the soil and change the soil's acidity).
If your pots are big, all these problems are minor. Please note also that Lilies bloom for 2-3 weeks only. Good luck!
woodthrush
15 years ago
I'm in zone 4. I have lilies in the large tubs and leave them through the winter. They must have good drainage. Don't leave them anywhere where they might stand in water, or have surplus rain run off from the roof or deck.
Pam
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greenguy1
15 years ago
Also in Maryland (Annapolis area), have a couple of pots of lilies in their third year as potted plants and both seem to be doing fine. They stay on my deck all year round, full sun, only get watered from rain or snow melt from November to March. Agree with all other comments about the need for excellent drainage, and had the same experience as you - my pots of tulips rotted this winter and the lilies did fine.

I do also have lots of other lilies in the ground (no vole problems in my garden), but like having the potted ones so I can move them around when they are in bloom.

- Steve
pnwjoy54
14 years ago
Though I'm a zone higher than you I grow almost all my lilies in containers. Have for 10 years or more and they do very well. They're a little harder to divide when the time comes though because of the tight roots you get in containers. But I no longer have to worry about voles and I can move them around. Works great for me.

Joy
fillygirl
14 years ago
I started my lilies in the garden last year and moved them to potshen it became a possibility that I would move over the winter. I kept them in a small portable green house (read plastic covered shelving unit) over the winter and they are now up and doing fine. I too am in zone 7 (NC) and although no blooms yet they are fine and seem healthy. They were on my porch all winter in the greenhouse and they seem to have made it with very minimal watering.