 | Colder, with more rain than usual…"What odd weather. Normally the Pacific Northwest has a prolonged spring, but in 2008 it seemed more like a prolonged winter, with more rainfall than usual that caused a few problems in our mulched gardens. Soil stayed too wet and even though we had occasional 'sun breaks" throughout June, it rained nearly every night for weeks. Lilies in the raised beds did best, nice green leaves all the way to the ground, but the lower planting areas showed the classic signs of overwatering. In areas with slower drainage the bottom leaves on several Oriental hybrids turned yellow and dropped midsummer, which seriously cut into their ability to manufacture food and replenish themselves for next year's bloom. Those bulbs are expected to take two years to recover after they are moved to a dryer location and moisture-loving Astilbe put into their place for winter. Our propagation stock in the fields (bulbs that we send to you) are not mulched, with no trees or shrubs to block drying wind, and so are just fine. In the heaviest planted areas, with mature shrubs and other perennials, some botrytis began to appear, but was stopped with three applications of fungicide sprayed on the tops and undersides of the leaves. (Click below for more information on Botyrtis.)
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Wild Lilies Wild Lily bulbs making up the genus Lilium belong to the family Liliaceae comprising of approximately 200 genera made up of approximately 2,000 lily species. There are in the neighborhood of 110 to 120 Lilium species depending on whose classification you reference. For the full article, click Knowledge Base |
