I was wondering if anyone uses wire cages for their lilies bulbs? I bought some 1/2 inch wire mesh and I have started making the baskets but I am not sure if the 1/2 inch wire mesh is large enough for the Orienpet lily stems to grow through?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Karen

The ones I have used and seen used, are always open at the top. Mostly it will prevent rodents from tunneling to your bulbs. I no longer use any. I may lose a few bulbs, but not many. I decided it was too much work. Perhaps use them with any of the more expensive bulbs you may have.

Thank you Hostasmore.

You might try moth balls, it may keep the nasty vermin away. You can bag them in a cloth and hammer them into smaller pieces to make them go further, sprinkle around the tops and bulbs as you plant.

Thank you Lisa, I will give that a try, I also heard that if you plant Fritillaria Rubra within four feet of lily bulbs it will help keep the varmits away . I will
put the moth balls on my list.

Thank you!

Of course, what they mean when you see Fritillaria rubra is the common red flowering form of Fritillaria imperialis. (There is no Fritillaria rubra recognized in botany.) My experience is inconclusive with the bulb. I can tell you it will not keep moles away, as I had one tunnel almost directly above a Fritillaria imperialis bulb, without deviation in its path, and continue on. But moles are not herbivores. They eat insects, worms and such ((bit not plants). Never had a gopher or vole problem to test with.

Orientpets will certainly grow stems larger than a half inch. While plants in the dicot group have a tendency to be constricted at first, they often grow around the wired and will continue to grow. But lilies are monocots with a different kind of internal stem structure, and I don't think they would be as forgiving as the dicots.

Thank you Leftwood,
I do have a lot of moles here so that's good that they only eat worms and insects. I don't have gopher or voles either.
I am just getting started back into Lilies and last summer I bought Conca d` Or Orientpet in a flower pot and the fragrance was just heavenly!

Thank you for all of your sage advice it is very much appreciated! I will find another use for the wire.