Welcome, Rick I'm going to jump ahead a little bit so that you can order some freshly dug Star Gazer bulbs that you can plant in your home garden yet this Fall. But you must hurry, the bulb selling season for fresh dug bulbs is coming to a close. Yes, your climate is ideal for growing all kinds of lilies. http://www.bdlilies.com/l7412..... Click on 'short list', then click on 'about spicy orientals' and scroll down until you spot Star Gazer. More on this and why you want to plant yet this Fall, later. Again,

Here's another highly regarded grower/seller who has Star Gazer. The only two I would recommend at this point. If you plant now, they will bloom next Spring. Plant about 4 or 5 inches deep in well drained soil, water in well immediately after planting and that's it. Scroll down to the bottom of the page in the link below.
http://www.thelilygarden.com/p...

Thanks very much, both of you.

It sounds like I won't be likely to multiply them.

Hope you have great success with your Star Gazers.

Lilies love soft friable soil and orientals especially love acidic soil conditions, so I wouldn't put them anywhere near clay. I have good results with growing my lilies outdoors in pots in a mild (rainy) winter climate with some frosts.

Rick, you can multiply them by scaling. If you are interested to learn read the stickied thread, "adventures in scaling." I know it's long but that would be the only way that you could reliably propagate them. For instant impact your best bet is to buy multiple bulbs but you might as well get an extra one and try scaling it if you want.

dellac said: I have good results with growing my lilies outdoors in pots in a mild (rainy) winter climate with some frosts.

That's very encouraging, because I have mild rainy winters with some frosts. Also, once they're in pots, I can move them around and send some to my friend while in bloom.

dellac said: Lilies love soft friable soil and orientals especially love acidic soil conditions, so I wouldn't put them anywhere near clay.

Urrrk. Clay is all I have!

It sounds like pots are the only answer, and make some affordable potting soil. I usually add screened pine bark nuggets to "something", often a commercial mix like Pro Mix. If lilies like acid, maybe sphagnum peat moss would be a good addition. Usually I avoid that to avoid water-logging.

Joebass said:Rick, you can multiply them by scaling. If you are interested to learn read the stickied thread, "adventures in scaling." I know it's long but that would be the only way that you could reliably propagate them. For instant impact your best bet is to buy multiple bulbs but you might as well get an extra one and try scaling it if you want.

I have scanned some articles (or maybe a YouTube video) about scaling, and I think you're right.

I'll have to get over my queasiness - I flinch whenever I untangle seedlings and might break a rootlet!

Am I right that a bulb that has been broken into smaller pieces may take more than one year to grow back to the point where it can bloom?

P.S. A lily just up and volunteered in one part of my yard where I improved the soil, and has come back three years now. It does look like this:

Lily (Lilium 'Black Out')

I will add that you must have good drainage in the pot or the bulb could rot. That does look like blackout Rick and you shouldn't need a support on it. Stem are fairly sturdy and it doesn't get over 4 feet. Im not sure what you mean by a bulb that is broken in smaller peices. Last but not least don't be afraid to scale. Just grab two scales from each bulb if you are too nervous to scale a full bulb.

A good choice for potting would be a Star Gazer 'look -a-like' called 'After Eight'. It is a dwarf Oriental that gets about 16 inches tall, 3 to a 6 inch pot. Occasionally, these are available in bloom over the holidays like Christmas, Valentines day, Easter and so on at some of the big box stores like Home Depot, Lowes and so on. Although, Orientals can be brought inside to enjoy the blooming cycle, they do not make good houseplants.

Roosterlorn said:A good choice for potting would be a Star Gazer 'look -a-like' called 'After Eight'. It is a dwarf Oriental that gets about 16 inches tall, 3 to a 6 inch pot.

Thanks, I'm adding that to my notes.

Joebass said:I will add that you must have good drainage in the pot or the bulb could rot. That does look like blackout Rick and you shouldn't need a support on it. Stem are fairly sturdy and it doesn't get over 4 feet. Im not sure what you mean by a bulb that is broken in smaller peices. Last but not least don't be afraid to scale. Just grab two scales from each bulb if you are too nervous to scale a full bulb.

I thought "scaling" was pulling pieces off a bulb, like breaking cloves off a garlic bulb. I'll go read that article when I get a chance.

>> Plant about 4 or 5 inches deep in well drained soil,

I'm not sure I'll find time to buy/make well draining potting soil and buy bulbs this year. I already have some larger pots, 3 and 5 gallon pots, perhaps deep enough. I'm guessing that if I plant the bulbs 4-5" deep, the total soil depth in the pot should be 8" plus?

RickCorey said: If lilies like acid, maybe sphagnum peat moss would be a good addition. Usually I avoid that to avoid water-logging.

Yes, when in pots as opposed to the ground, one does need to be careful about too much sphagnum for that very reason with lilies. you could add iron sulphate or magnesium sulphate to lower pH. Most commercial mixes found in regular retail outlets already have a large amount of peat (sphagnum peat) incorporated. I wouldn't add any more. Commercial mixes also have their pH adjusted to slightly acid. While more acid ( a lower pH) would be better, slightly acid should be fine, in my opinion.

RickCorey, while you may not have time to prepare your garden soil this Fall, I certainly wouldn't give up on the idea. Generally, lilies do better in a garden than they do in a pot. And while a loose, soft, sandy loam soil is highly desirable, lilies can perform quite well in slightly modified clay base soils as long as prolonged soaking wet conditions can be avoided by raising the garden elevation a little. Adding sand, compost or potting soil, and sphagnum peat moss to an existing clay bed will raise it quite a bit when working with starting ratios of about: 50% clay base, 20% sand, 20% compost or potting mix and 10% sphagnum peat moss. When it comes to the sand, I'm rather picky. Do not use contractors sand like they use for cement or laying patio bricks. I use 'playsand', the kind used for kids sand boxes or that which is similar to aquarium sand for reptiles and the price is the same, either way.

A couple more related notes:

If you purchased bulbs now and potted them up now, they should be stored dry to moist outside (in your area) for 10 to 12 weeks for their winter resting period of near dormancy. A good place to do that in your area would be an unheated garden shed or under a porch roof. Remember, the bulbs themselves have enough built in antifreeze so they will not be harmed even though the ground around them may be frozen solid. I agree with Rick (Leftwood) that the pH of good grade potting soils will be slightly acid and while 6.4 to 6.6 is highly desirable for Orientals, I've had the same Star Gazers growing quite well for more than 20 years here with my garden soil pH of 6.8.

Usually a good grade potting soil will have a sufficient amount of peat moss in it for potting use. Adding some commercial garden soil to the potting soil makes a good mix for lilies.

Regarding cut Star Gazers, you can order them through most florists at any time of the year.

Regarding buying potted Star Gazers and when would be the best time in order to replant them outside? Any time you see them for sale in the Spring and early Summer would be Ideal. Simply transplant them into the garden as soon as they are done flowering. A second option would be to let them grow all summer in the nursery pot and transplant them in the Fall---but that means more work added on to an already busy time.

Roosterlorn said:... 50% clay base, 20% sand, 20% compost or potting mix and 10% sphagnum peat moss. ...

If you purchased bulbs now and potted them up now, they should be stored dry to moist outside (in your area) for 10 to 12 weeks for their winter resting period of near dormancy. A good place to do that in your area would be an unheated garden shed or under a porch roof. ...

Regarding cut Star Gazers, you can order them through most florists at any time of the year.

Regarding buying potted Star Gazers and when would be the best time in order to replant them outside? Any time you see them for sale in the Spring and early Summer would be Ideal. Simply transplant them into the garden as soon as they are done flowering. A second option would be to let them grow all summer in the nursery pot and transplant them in the Fall---but that means more work added on to an already busy time.

Thanks!

I agree that clay soil needs 50% amendments or more. My downfall is not using enough compost.

>> potted them up now, they should be stored dry to moist outside (in your area) for 10 to 12 weeks for their winter resting period

That sounds crucial. Uncovered outdoors, they would be soaked 90% of the time.

Thanks again, everyone! You've been very helpful to a clueless newbie.

All I can say is be careful Rick C, if you get some other bulbs you might be addicted like us!

I believe it! My very first year ever planting any bulbs went very well, and some came back.

The fact that Blackout lilies "volunteered" amazed me! Someone must have planted them SOME time. I guess the soil got so bad that they weren't even visible my first year. Then I deeply amended that bed slope of rocky clay with pick and shovel, and returned the bulb I found ... and it thrived and multiplied.

Roosterlorn said:A good choice for potting would be a Star Gazer 'look -a-like' called 'After Eight'. It is a dwarf Oriental that gets about 16 inches tall, 3 to a 6 inch pot.

I've grown Stargazer and Starfighter in pots and just got After Eight this year. I'd typically choose something taller for the garden the blooms more than made up for it's relatively small stature. Of the three I mentioned I find it the prettiest, we had the hottest front porch on the block while it was in bloom! It provided a real explosion of color and with the breeze, screen doors, and ceiling fans the scent came through the house without being too potent.

So....here comes a question... . I typically plant potted lilies once the bloom is over but in this case I simply swapped the lilies into the pot my replacement plant had been in and left them on the front porch as bonus foliage with some other potted plants. At my house I just move my potted Star-lilies into the garage for winter and figured on doing similar here at my mom's place. My cannas are just about ready to go to the basement and figured I'd just take the potted lilies down with them.

Would I be better off just to go ahead and plant them outdoors? (Temps are cooler than normal but not freezing by any stretch)

Wes do what works for you. If you're happy with them in pots and it's working, stick with it. Would it grow better in the ground? Possibly if you have good soil that isn't wet all winter. Also make sure your garage will get cold in the winter. Lilies need a cold period to throw up another stem.

Thanks Joe. No problem with cold in the garage or basement but I'm actually leaning towards planting these near Dizzy in the backyard since I have other outdoor work to finish up this week. Moving the potted lilies to the garage has worked fairly well but I've had just as much luck with lilies planted in the ground. I'll toss a coin on this one

You said that lily bulbs will survive in pots outside even if the ground is frozen solid. They have 'built in antifreeze.' Would that work here where we run low 30's to teens and sometimes a little lower for several months. I assumed the bulbs would freeze and turn to mush. I have several pots in the garage where it stays around 50 or a little more all winter. I watered lightly (along with the iris, geraniums, crocus, daffys) once a month.