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Bulbs/digging up lilies

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Expert: Long Island Gardener - 8/20/2007


Question
I just dug up my lily bulbs and I did it in June is this okay, they didn't bloom yet?  We were moving and I wanted to take them with me.  Is there anything I can do to guarantee that they will grow next year and that they will be okay?


Answer
Put those Lilies back in the ground asap, Jennifer.  They need to be in the ground, or at least in pots, especially in August.  The plants are in active growth.  Next time, write to me FIRST.  Asking me this now is like jumping out the window and asking if it's ok to do this instead of taking the elevator.  Good luck, and keep me posted.

Bulbs

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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