Hi all,

I have some NOID potted lilies, all fragrant, three to four feet tall, most are white. They were listed as for spring planting. They're all doing very well and I really don't want to lose them.

I'm wondering what the best way is to care for them during the winter? Will they survive if I just leave them outside in their very-large pots? I don't want to lose them! I would just take them in but it's warm everywhere in my home throughout the winter (no garage or cool basement). I don't have much space for them in the ground so I'm feeling stuck between a pot and a hard place.

I am in zone 5b, north central Massachusetts where it snows, and the temps can get down to minus 10 at times. Our coldest month is usually February.

Thanks in advance. All advice is appreciated.

I hold mine over in a similar zone in my unheated attached garage in plastic bags full of barely moist peat, then placed in a cardboard box, wrapped the outside with beach towels. This keeps them away from freezing and thawing extremes but yet insulated enough to get the cold period they need without the risk of rotting that trying to winter in pots through weather extremes risks. I have kept potted lilies safe for repotting for many years this way. I check them in the box late February or early March. I pot them up and leave them in the garage as spring warms, then ease them out to their summer location late April.

magnolialover said:I hold mine over in a similar zone in my unheated attached garage in plastic bags full of barely moist peat, then placed in a cardboard box, wrapped the outside with beach towels. This keeps them away from freezing and thawing extremes but yet insulated enough to get the cold period they need without the risk of rotting that trying to winter in pots through weather extremes risks. I have kept potted lilies safe for repotting for many years this way. I check them in the box late February or early March. I pot them up and leave them in the garage as spring warms, then ease them out to their summer location late April.

That sounds wonderful. I've heard that a lot of people do that. I wish I had an appropriate, unheated area but I've nothing. No garage, no storage room, nothing. That's why I posted the question.

Extra fridge?

magnolialover said:Extra fridge?

Nope.

Vegetable crisper drawer free?

magnolialover said:Vegetable crisper drawer free?

I've done that in the past but as fruit ripens, evidently, the ethylene gas given off by the ripening fruit can damage the bulbs. I lost all my tulip bulbs that way one year. If you know a way to prevent that from happening, I'm all ears.

I keep my fridge at 33 F. Maybe lilies aren't affected by ripening fruit?

Maybe you could build a plywood enclosure outside and line it with some insulation and cover it in tarps outside? I believe one of our members has a trench he buries his pots in and covers with mulch for the winter. Depending on what kind of pots you have, might need to drill a couple extra drainage holes and bury the pots at an angle. Just a couple ideas anyway.

The first two posts in this thread are helpful:
The thread "What to do with a forced lily bulb at this time of the year?" in Lilies forum
It just needs a little bit of adaption, since you are not talking about October-bought blooming lilies.

Thanks so much @Leftwood! Is there a difference between spring planted and fall planted lilies technically? I just assumed they are the same, just stored and then planted for the spring ones, vs. planted in the fall. ????

Technically, no. It's just that for northern climates where certain kinds of lilies are less hardy, these certain kinds (that include orientals) seem to do better when planted in the spring. This is because then they have the whole growing season to establish themselves in the ground before winter comes.

Leftwood said:Technically, no. It's just that for northern climates where certain kinds of lilies are less hardy, these certain kinds (that include orientals) seem to do better when planted in the spring. This is because then they have the whole growing season to establish themselves in the ground before winter comes.

So, seeing as how these are all spring-planted lilies, would it work to remove the bulbs from these large pots when the stalks have died, then bury them collectively about 10 inches or even 12 down, then gently dig them up to replant in the pots in the spring? ARGH! This is frustrating! They're so beautiful and the fragrance is so wonderful! I really want to save them.

Yes, that would be fine. It would be like overwintering the bulbs in the fridge. But if you have room, they will do better if you are able to bury the whole pots, so the roots aren't disturbed.

One more thing: in the spring, don't be looking to dig up you bulbs or pots when lilies normally emerge from the ground. That will be too late, and the bulbs will already be growing. Figure about on month before.

LOL, if I had room to bury the pots, I'd have room to plant the lilies!

I'll see if I can give this a try. It feels like the only workable solution.

perhaps in styrofoam coolers in a storange unit? packed in peat or sawdust in plastic bags?

BUGGYCRAZY said:perhaps in styrofoam coolers in a storange unit? packed in peat or sawdust in plastic bags?

So I should go rent a storage unit and buy styrofoam coolers just for my bulbs?