I plant all lily bulbs, dahlia tubers, and any expensive/rare/cherished plants in round cages made of chicken wire. I make taller cages for those plants that are prone to rabbit damage and leave about 18 inches above ground to protect the stems. I make the cages large enough to accommodate future root growth and multiplication of bulbs. The cages last on average about 3-5 years, depending on how moist the soil is, which is about the time that plants/bulbs need dividing and replanting. (Gloves are a necessity to protect hands from rusty pieces of wire.)

An added bonus is that if you decide to move a plant, the cage keeps the rootball perfectly intact. I move many things (lilies included) in full bud or bloom and they don't miss a beat.

My thoughts on planting lilies in pots is that there may be a problem with drainage (waterlogged in wet weather) or the opposite, that the soil may dry out which will stress the bulbs and possibly result in bud drop.

Oh, one last thing about the cages... I have so many of them buried in the garden that in many areas the gophers have given up trying to navigate their way between them.

Good luck with your lilies,

Kate

Hi Kate,
Thanks for writing. I was trying to come up with a way to keep the rodents from getting to the bulb that would last a long time, but I hadn't thought about the potential drainage problem using a pot. Should have realized it couldn't be that easy or I'd have found hundreds of references to it with Google. LOL

I guess it's chicken wire cages then, unless you think perhaps rabbit wire (AKA hardware cloth, the stuff used to make rabbit cages) would be even better or longer lasting than chicken wire?

TIA,
Melody

Melody,

My first response to the gopher crisis was to use hardware cloth. It was much more difficult to work with - I could make a dozen chicken wire cages in the time it took to make one hardware cloth cage - and was a lot more expensive since I had dozens of plants to protect. When used in tall cages to protect plant stems above ground as well as below, it was much more visible. Lily stems often grow at an angle, especially as bulbs multiply, and get caught in the hardware cloth; because the mesh is so tight it is almost impossible to free them. With the chicken wire cages, stems can generally grow through the holes.

Kate

You're terrific! :^)

I've always admired lillies, and now that we finally have our own home, my goal is to ring the immediate yard with beds at least six feet deep. In my dream garden, (the one I've been planning/planting since we moved in) there are roses, flowering shrubs, perennials, a few old favorite annuals, and lillies of every color and species tucked in here and there waving like bystanders at a parade. But the gophers have been like naughty boys tossing firecrackers into the crowd, leaving sadly empty spots. I can't poison them due to a number of pets that might mistake a staggering, dying toxic gopher as a squeeky toy and end up poisoned themselves. I figured cages were the way to go, but wasn't sure how to proceed. I've already saved myself time, $$$ and trouble by lucking into a real, honest to goodness 'Been there, done that' Lilly Mentor. Thank you for being so generous with your experience.

One last question; are you using the 1 inch wire, or is something smaller available in your area? Does the 1 inch wire work, or should I plan on making two layer cages?

The 1" mesh is what I use. I find the 2 foot length is easiest to work with.

It's kind of you to call the gophers naughty boys - I have rather harsher names for them.

There is a product called 'Mole Go' or 'Mole Rid' and is probably sold under other names as well that is a castor oil-based product that, when watered into the soil, drives moles and gophers from the area. It's not cheap and may have to be reapplied depending on frequency of rainfall, but it does work very well.

Kate