Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 9/17/2006

Question
Hi Ken:
I read through previous questions and didn't find exactly what I'm looking for so thought I'd write.  I have an Oriental Lily Perennial that I bought last spring.  It had gorgeous blooms.  I have it in a well drained pot and continue to water it.  The stalks are still bright green and look very healthy; they're about 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall.  I would like very much for it to bloom again, but I don't know what to do to make that happen.  Should I cut the stalks back?  Should I remove it from the pot and do something with it?  I live in San Diego.  Thanks so much in advance!

Gwen

Answer
While the lily plant grows with green leaves, the bulb is being recharged. The longer you can keep the lily growing, the better recharging and the bigger the bulb gets.

You should continue to water the lily. Do not cut the stem back until the leaves fall off by them selves and the stem dies back. Sometimes, the stem will die back from disease, but most often you can get the lily to grow for a long time which is good.

Do not cut the stem back before the lily stem has withered.

In your area, the temperatures may not be as low as to make the lily bulb "go to sleep" naturally and vernalize (cooling period which prompts the lily plant to bloom again). Therefore, if the lily has not started to show signs of going "back to sleep" 9 months after flowering, you can put the pot (and all) in a spare fridge set at a low temperature 33-35F. As low as you can without freezing. Gradually begin to withhold water. Do not worry about lack of sunshine during this period. After the stem has died back, you keep the lily in the cold temperatures for 6 weeks and bring it back out. It should not be "programmed" to start growing again and flower.