Lilies are some of the oldest and most beloved ornamental plants in the world. But if you want those stunning blooms to keep coming back year after year, you’ve got to give them a little TLC in the form of regular feeding.
Why Your Lilies Need Fertilizer
Lilies are what we gardeners call “heavy feeders.” They have a huge appetite for energy, and over time, they’ll actually deplete the nutrients in the soil around them. If you skip the fertilizer, you’ll usually notice the blooms starting to dwindle by the third year after planting. Without those extra nutrients, the plant will eventually start to wither away. Plus, a hungry lily is a stressed lily, making it way more susceptible to diseases and pesky garden pests.
How Often Should You Fertilize?
To keep your lilies healthy, one good feeding a year is the bare minimum. However, if you want them to truly thrive, a little more goes a long way. Ideally, you should aim for two to three applications per growing season. The exception to this rule is potted lilies. Because they have a limited amount of soil to draw from, container-grown lilies should be fertilized about once every four weeks.
Choosing the Right Fertilizer
The good news is that lilies aren’t too picky! You can use a variety of different fertilizers, ranging from synthetic options to natural organic matter. Here are a few tried-and-true favorites:
- Balanced granular fertilizer (like 10-10-10)
- Finished compost
- Horn meal or bone meal
- Rhododendron/Azalea fertilizer (they love the slightly acidic touch!)
One big “no-no” is using fresh manure. Unless it has been aged for at least two years and is completely decomposed, it can actually do more harm than good to your bulbs.
Timing is Everything
Finding the right fertilizer is only half the battle—you also need to get the timing right. Your first application should happen in early spring as the new growth emerges. Just be sure not to wait too late in the season for your final feeding; August is generally the cutoff. As fall approaches, lilies start preparing for their winter dormancy and don’t need the extra boost. In fact, too many nutrients late in the year can lead to tender new growth that’s easily damaged by frost.
