When to plant Lilies
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Practical notes
Plant deep — three times the bulb’s height — because most lilies root from the stem above the bulb as well as below it. Patrol for scarlet lily beetle from April: hand-picking daily is the only thing that works.
Knowing when to pick
Cut when the lowest bud is just opening, and take no more than a third of the stem — the leaves left behind rebuild the bulb for next year.
Storing the crop
Pinch the orange anthers out as each flower opens: the pollen stains cloth permanently and shortens vase life.
Crop rotation
No strict rotation group — still avoid replanting into the same soil year after year.
Grows well with
Watch for
Full guide: lilies diseases and pests (3) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.