How to Grow Lilies
Lilium
Lilies produce some of the most dramatic and fragrant flowers in the garden. Plant bulbs 15 cm deep in autumn or spring in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. They thrive with their heads in sun and roots shaded by companion planting. Feed fortnightly with high-potash fertilizer during growth. The lily beetle is the main enemy — check plants daily from April and squash adults and larvae on sight. After flowering, leave foliage to die back naturally to feed the bulb. Most types are fully hardy and will return reliably for years, multiplying into impressive clumps.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Feed with a high-potash liquid fertilizer every two weeks from when shoots emerge until flowering finishes. A tomato feed works well.
Watch For
- Lily beetle (the number one pest — check daily from April)
- Aphids on flower buds
- Slugs on emerging shoots
Companions
Roses, Lavender, Hardy geraniums, Hostas
Track your Lilies care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun to light shade
Most lilies flower best in full sun but tolerate light dappled shade. Asiatic types are the most sun-tolerant; Martagon lilies prefer partial shade. All benefit from cool, shaded roots.
💧 Watering
Moist but well-drained
Keep soil consistently moist during the growing season but never waterlogged. Lilies in containers need regular watering in summer. Reduce watering after foliage dies back. Good drainage is essential to prevent bulb rot.
🌱 Fertilizing
High-potash feed fortnightly during growth
Feed with a high-potash liquid fertilizer (tomato feed) every two weeks from shoot emergence to end of flowering. This builds strong bulbs for next year. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which produce soft growth susceptible to disease.
✂️ Pruning
Deadhead flowers, leave stems until autumn
Remove spent flowers to prevent seed formation, which wastes the bulb's energy. Leave the stem and all foliage intact until it yellows and dies naturally in autumn, then cut to ground level.
Growing Tips
Daily lily beetle patrol
From April onwards, check lily stems and leaf undersides daily for bright red beetles and their black, slimy larvae. Pick off by hand — they drop when disturbed, so cup a hand beneath. This is the single most important thing you can do for lilies in the UK.
Plant deep for stability
Plant bulbs at three times their height (typically 15 cm deep). Deep planting anchors tall stems against wind and helps stem-rooting types establish properly.
Leave foliage to feed the bulb
After flowering, resist cutting back stems. The leaves photosynthesise and store energy in the bulb for next year. Only remove once fully yellowed and dry in autumn.
Shade the roots
Lilies prefer cool roots and warm heads. Underplant with low-growing companions like hardy geraniums or use a gravel mulch to keep roots cool while flowers bask in sun.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Lily Beetle
Identification: Bright scarlet red beetles 8 mm long on leaves and stems. Larvae are orange-brown but covered in black excrement, found on leaf undersides. Eggs are orange-red, laid in neat rows under leaves.
- Hand-pick adults and larvae daily from April — they drop when disturbed, so hold a hand beneath
- Check leaf undersides for eggs and larvae regularly
- Encourage ground beetles which eat larvae that fall to the soil
- Spray with a contact insecticide containing deltamethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin
- Apply systemic neonicotinoid as a last resort for severe infestations
Pest Aphids
Identification: Clusters of small green insects on buds and growing tips, causing distorted flowers and sticky honeydew
- Blast off with a strong jet of water
- Spray with fatty acid-based insecticide
- Encourage ladybirds and lacewings
- Spray with a contact insecticide containing deltamethrin
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Shredded or missing young shoots; slime trails around the base of plants
- Apply biological nematode control (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) in early spring
- Use copper tape around containers
- Apply ferric phosphate slug pellets
- Ferric phosphate-based pellets around emerging growth
Disease Botrytis (Grey Mould) Botrytis elliptica
Symptoms: Brown oval spots on leaves, sometimes with grey fuzzy mould. Spots may merge, causing leaves to collapse. Flower buds may rot before opening.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves promptly. Improve air circulation. Avoid overhead watering.
Prevention: Space plants well for good airflow. Water at soil level. Remove debris around plants in autumn.
Disease Lily Virus
Symptoms: Yellow streaking or mottling on leaves, stunted growth, distorted or reduced flowers. Multiple viruses can affect lilies simultaneously.
Treatment: No cure. Remove and destroy affected plants to prevent spread via aphids.
Prevention: Buy certified virus-free bulbs. Control aphids which are the main vector. Do not replant lilies in the same spot.
Disease Basal Rot (Fusarium) Fusarium oxysporum
Symptoms: Yellowing and wilting of foliage from the base upward. Bulb becomes soft and brown at the base plate. Plants may fail to emerge in spring.
Treatment: Destroy affected bulbs. Do not replant lilies in the same soil for several years.
Prevention: Ensure excellent drainage. Avoid damaging bulbs during planting. Buy firm, healthy bulbs.
Popular Varieties
Stargazer, Casa Blanca, Asiatic Mix, Regale, Martagon, Enchantment
Log Lilies in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
Start planning free