How to grow lilies in pots?

Where to place your potted lilies outdoors?

Lilies in pots like sun but prefer to keep their roots cool, especially in summer. Choose a sunny or partly shaded position. Place the pot in a sheltered spot, protected from wind.

When to plant lilies in a pot?

Lilies can be planted in pots from September to May, avoiding frosts. However, it is preferable to plant them in autumn so they can establish well and flower the following spring and summer. There are two exceptions to this: Asian lilies are best planted in spring, and Madonna lilies at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn.

How to plant lilies in pots?

• Choose a pot large enough, allowing a diameter of at least 16 cm for a bulb. You can plant several lily bulbs in the same pot, provided you space them 10 to 15 cm apart. For example: in a 30 cm pot, plant a group of 3 to 5 lilies.
  Bulbs have scales and must be planted quickly or they will dry out. If a bulb is soft, do not use it.
• Place at the bottom of the pot (with drainage holes) a 3 to 5 cm layer of clay pebbles or gravel to ensure good drainage.
• Then cover with an equal mix of potting compost (or garden soil) and compost, then add a small trowel of sand.
• Plant the bulb deeply at 15 cm depth, except for the Madonna Lily, which is planted 2 to 3 cm below the surface.
• Cover with potting compost, insert a stake to support the stems as they shoot and water.

Potted lilies outdoors on a balcony

Caring for potted lilies

Watering potted lilies

For proper care of potted lilies, water on average once a week to keep potting mix moist (but not waterlogged) in spring and summer. Never leave water in the saucer! In autumn and winter, stop watering when foliage has dried.

Fertilising

During growth and flowering, apply liquid potassium-rich fertiliser to potted lilies every 15 days.

Diseases and pests of potted lilies

Lily’s pest is the lily beetle, a small beetle with a red shell and black legs and head, which devours leaves and flowers. If you see any, remove them gently, as they drop to soil to escape, and dispose of them. For more information, see our advice sheet on the lily beetle.

Other possible pests of outdoor potted lilies are slugs and snails, to be removed using traps, as well as aphids, to be treated with black soap.

Oriental lily in a pot can also, if conditions are too damp, be affected by Botrytis. Solution is well-draining soil and reduced watering.

Pruning spent flowers

When lily flowering is ending, cut off spent flowers with pruning snips or a pruning shear, taking care not to remove more than one third of the stem so bulb retains enough leaves and can rebuild its reserves.

In autumn, when all leaves have withered and turned yellow, cut stems back to ground level. Lily will regrow and flower again next spring.

Staking potted lilies

Lilies, even in pots, can grow very tall, so it is preferable to stake them.

Water your lily pots about once a week

What to do with a potted lily after flowering?

After flowering, potted lily enters a crucial rest period necessary for generous flowering the following year.

• Allow foliage of your potted lily to yellow naturally. As long as stems and leaves remain green, they continue to feed bulb and restore its reserves. Once foliage yellows, it can be removed by cutting stems flush with soil level.
• Reduce watering gradually to allow bulb to prepare for dormancy. Excess water could cause it to rot.
• Stop all fertiliser applications as soon as flowering ends, as plant no longer needs it.
• Depending on variety and climate, potted lily can overwinter outdoors or under cover. In regions with mild winters, potted lily can be left outdoors. In colder areas, it is better to shelter pot in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place, such as a garage, greenhouse or conservatory.
• At end of winter, when bulb is fully at rest, repot lily into fresh potting compost and, if desired, divide bulblets to multiply lily.

Learn more

For a well-flowered terrace or balcony, simply combine potted lilies with other plants. Choose plants with a light habit, such as grasses, campanulas or gauras. Lilies also combine very well with colourful flowers, such as gladioli, agapanthus, daylilies or clematis.

Finally, discover our comprehensive guide on lilies.