The Stargazer Asiatic Lily is a perennial bulb with rigid stems and narrow deciduous leaves. It offers large flowers with 6 petals, with a flat or slightly trumpet-shaped corolla, of dark pink color, speckled with purple and edged with white. Of a delicate beauty, it will fascinate you by its generous flowering very scented in July-August. The Stargazer Lily measures approximately 25 inches in height.
The Asian Lily (or Lily) appreciates a humid soil, rich in humus, and especially well drained. The ideal mix would be 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 planting soil and 1/3 sand. You can also improve the drainage with additional sand. Limestone soils should be avoided.
Plant your bulbs from September to May (except frost period).
Lilies generally emit roots at the base of the stem, at the top of the bulb. It is thus necessary to bury this last one rather deeply: either 8 inches in a good light ground, to 4 inches in a heavy ground which you will amend preferably with a good compost and sand.
Contents
Where to install the Stargazer lily indoors?
- Place the jar near a window or behind a bay window. The brighter the light, the brighter the colors will be.
- On the other hand, avoid the proximity of a heat source (radiator, chimney…) because the flowers will dry out.
How to plant Stargazer lilies indoors
Make an earthy mixture composed of
- 1/2 of a very good compost,
- 1/4 good non-limestone garden soil
- 1/4 river sand .
- Add to this set some very mature compost almost mineralized.
Bulbs hate the addition of organic matter still decomposing like manure.
The mixture must be draining, because potted lilies hate stagnant and excessive humidity in winter.
Make a fungicide treatment with Bordeaux mixture before planting them.
Place a layer of gravel, clay balls or pot shards in the bottom of the pot or tub, covered with a piece of geotextile.
Stargazer lilies must be planted deep enough. The depth is about two and a half times their height. An exception is Stargazer lilies that you plant just below the surface.
Keep a reserve of two centimeters below the rim of the pot or tub for watering. For a beautiful effect, plant densely.
Plant Stargazer lilies of the same color in pots. For example, plant three lilies per pot of 8 to 12 inches.
Water abundantly after planting, even in rainy weather.
Place your pot on the terrace or balcony in a sunny position away from strong winds.
If you have chosen to plant in the fall, protect them from heavy winter rains. (practically dry)
How to water the Stargazer lily indoors?
Pour water into a saucer at least once a week depending on the temperature and exposure of the room. Watering from underneath moistens the rootball by capillary action. This method is very often used by horticulturists who grow flowering plants in pots.
It contributes to the recycling of rainwater from greenhouse roofs. The water not used by the plants goes back into a basin without being wasted. The lily appreciates fresh water without limescale.
Relationship between Stargazer lilies and cold weather
Stargazer lilies need a cold period to bloom. The soil in the pot should be moist, but not waterlogged, as this would increase the effect of frost. For fragile species, bundle the pots away from cold winds. They are resistant to a temperature of -4°F.
What to do after flowering?
While lily bulbs planted in the garden deserve to be systematically removed from the ground during the winter, potted lily bulbs do not necessarily require this treatment. However, if you have a garden, you can plant the bulbs in the ground between October and April.
If you leave it in a pot, repot the bulbs in a slightly larger pot. Add some potting soil to the soil. Replace your Stargazer lily bulb, and leave the pot away from heat but in a bright place.
Criocera Lys, Stargazer lily diseases
The Stargazer lily is, like many plants, the prey of certain parasites such as aphids, slugs or thrips.
But the most frequent and most fearsome parasite in the lily remains the criocera.
It is a red beetle with black legs that revels in the leaves and flowers of lilies and can cause great damage.
Summary
The Stargazer lily is a bulbous plant with summer bloom. There is a multitude of colors: pure white, speckled white-pink, pale pink, fuchsia… The full flowering season is in May-June. When you receive a potted lily, you should water it once a week while it is at home, and remove the flowers as they fade.
Then, once deflowered, you should replant it in the garden between September and April. The stems should be cut 4 inches from the ground. It should be planted in a sunny spot where no hoe or lawn mower will be used to prevent the Stargazer lilies from growing back!
