Lilies are some of the oldest ornamental plants in the world, and for good reason! Since they originally hail from Turkey and the Caucasus, they bring a gorgeous exotic flair to your garden while remaining surprisingly hardy and low-maintenance. This “easy-going” nature extends to pruning, too.
Prepping for Winter
The most important time to prune your lilies is in late fall. This is when you’ll want to remove the parts of the plant above the ground. However, don’t jump the gun! You should only start this task once the stems and leaves have completely withered. Until that point, the lily is still busy pulling energy from the foliage back down into the bulb for next year. Here’s how to get your lilies ready for overwintering:
- Wait until the leaves and stems have turned completely yellow or brown.
- Use clean, sharp pruning shears to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Cut the stems and leaves off right at ground level.
- Gently pull any dried-out plant debris out of the soil.
- Cover the remaining roots with a layer of brushwood or mulch for protection.
Deadheading Wilted Blooms
It’s also a great idea to keep your scissors handy during the blooming season. By consistently removing wilted flowers (a process called deadheading), you encourage the plant to focus on its health. If you leave the spent blooms on the plant, the lily will shift its energy toward seed production instead. Of course, if you’re planning on propagating your lilies from seed, you’ll want to leave those flowers alone! But for general maintenance, just make sure you’re only snipping off the flower itself and leaving as much of the green stem intact as possible.
Cutting Lilies for Bouquets
Lilies aren’t just a treat for your flower beds; they look stunning in the living room, too! Even if you haven’t planted your lilies in pots, you can still bring them indoors as cut flowers. When you’re cutting lilies for a vase, be sure to strip off any leaves at the bottom of the stem so they aren’t sitting in the water. You can leave the rest of the foliage higher up. To help your bouquet last longer, try adding a tiny splash of lemon juice or vinegar to the water. With a little TLC, cut lilies usually stay fresh for about two weeks.
