| I was recently given a couple of trays of tiger lilies that were in full bloom. I put them in the ground and it looked like they were doing well. How do I get them to rebloom? They have huge buds on the tops of them but they aren't blooming! |
| Tiger lilies (L. tigrinum) grow 2 to 4 feet tall with 3 to 5 inch black spotted orange blooms. They bloom in July and August. Tiger lilies tolerate light shade--in fact, in zone 9 they need shade at midday to prevent colors from bleaching and to lengthen the period of bloom. Since your lilies have already bloomed, what you are seeing is probably the seed heads, not flower buds. They won't bloom again until next year. In zone 9, where frost is rare, dig up the bulbs and refrigerate them for 8 weeks to give them their necessary rest period. Lilies like soil that is moist, but not wet. If your soil is wet, plant them in raised beds in which compost has been added. Plant in fall or early spring 9 to 18 inches apart. Fertilize your lilies with a 5-10-5 fertilizer in early spring and water in well. |
