Winter 2018 Planting Instructions / Guide

Lilies

Plant bulbs immediately on arrival - do not allow bulbs to dry out before planting.  If you cannot plant straight away, then store in the fridge.

Lilies like semi-shade or full sun. They prefer their faces in the sun and their roots cool so plant low growing annuals or perennials at their feet. Plant 10-15cm deep in a well-drained, slightly acidic soil with good humus content. Make sure any growth points are well buried, at least a hand depth.  Apply bulb food when planting and thereafter each Spring. Our Natures Garden Fertiliser is also ideal. DO NOT USE sheep, cattle or fowl manure or lime. Lilies are best left in the same position for several years.

As your lily grows, secure to the stake as necessary. Every three months’ side-dress with fertiliser to assist the development of flower buds. Do not use manure on lilies. Should a fungal or insect (i.e Aphids) infestation occur, general garden sprays such as Yates Shield can be applied

After flowering leave stem on bulb until leaves turn brown then cut off at ground level. Leaving the flower to wither on the plant allows energy to be drawn back into the bulb, preparing it for the next year's growth and flowering.

LILIES IN POTS:

Lilies look fantastic in pots. Choose a large pot with good drainage holes. Use a good quality potting mix. Do not use garden soil in pots. Add bulb food or fertiliser when planting and again in Spring. Plant 1 bulb in a 15cm pot, 3 bulbs in 30cm pot. Fertilise each year and re-pot after two-three years.

Note – some imported lilies will start growing straight away. If you are in a very cold, frosty area some frost protection is recommended for the first winter only. These varieties are marked on their labels. They will also flower earlier than normal this first year.

BLOOM TIMES FOR LILIES:

There are almost a dozen types of true lilies with a wonderful variety of flower styles, stem heights, colours and bloom times. By planting several different types of lilies, you can enjoy having these beautiful flowers in bloom from late November to March.

In the list below, lilies are presented in order by their approximate bloom time. Within each type of lily, there are varieties that bloom earlier than others. Weather is also a factor. A dry, late spring may delay flowering, while an early, wet spring may speed things up.

Early Season Lilies: Martagon Lilies, Asiatic Lilies, Species Lilies, Double Asiatic Lilies
Mid-Season Lilies: Trumpet Lilies (including Aurelian and Longiflorum), OA Hybrids (Oriental-Asiatic), LA Hybrids (Longiflorum – Asiatic)
Late Season Lilies: Oriental Lilies, OT Hybrids (Oriental Trumpet or Orienpets) Double Oriental Lilies, Tiger Lilies

LILIES FOR CUT FLOWERS:

When cutting flowers to take indoors, remember that the bulb stores the current year’s nutrients for the next year. For this reason, leave one third of the plant when removing flowers. Pick flowers as the buds are just beginning to open. When the flowers are fully open, remove the orange pollen-coated stamens as the pollen can badly stain furniture or clothes. Oriental lilies are beautifully perfumed, however if you prefer Asiatic lilies have no perfume.

FRAGRANT LILIES:

Orientals, Trumpets, and their hybrids are all exceedingly fragrant!
•    L.A. Hybrids are lightly fragrant.
•    Asiatics typically have NO scent.

Garlic

The best time to plant garlic is May-July. Traditionally garlic is planted on the shortest day of the year (21 June) and harvest on the longest day of the year (21 December). In cooler districts garlic can be planted in May right through to August.

It is possible that garlic purchased from the supermarket has been treated with a retardant to stop the bulbs from sprouting. This will explain the stunted growth and distortion. GardenPost garlic bulbs are NZ grown and have not been treated – they can be planted or eaten fresh.

Plant into well-drained soil in a sunny position. Dig in generous quantities of compost, and an application of bulb food and lime before planting.  Break the bulb into individual cloves taking the largest cloves from around the outside of the bulb — discard the smaller ones or use in cooking. Break the bulb up just before planting. Keep the area weed free and if conditions are dry, keep well-watered.

Plant cloves with the narrow end up, so they are just covered — approximately 2-5 cm deep. This will depend upon the size of the clove. Reduce watering one month before harvest to improve the keeping quality. If flower stalks appear, remove them as this will reduce the size of the garlic bulbs when harvested.

Elephant garlic – same procedure as normal garlic but plant the whole clove.

Shallots

Plant the whole bulb in autumn (May onwards) in well-drained rich soil, but not where you have grown onions, garlic or leeks before (otherwise your shallots could get diseases). Do not plant them too deeply. Once established keep them well-fed with nitrogenous fertilizers, and well-watered if the soil gets dry. Our Natures Garden Fertiliser is ideal. Closer to harvest time stop feeding.   These shallot bulbs can also be eaten – they have not been chemically treated.

Plants

Your plants are a selected grade in the best physical condition for either planting out or potting on. Their size, or what is known as “root to shoot ratio”, means they will suffer the minimum in transplanting shock to quickly settle down and keep on growing. Please take a moment to read some GardenPost tips that will help you further maximise your plant growth to get the best in health performance with your plants from now on.

Planting out into the garden:

1. Dig a hole at least twice the width and depth of the container.
2. To remove the plant from its container, tip upside down and, whilst supporting the plant with one hand, squeeze with the other hand or tap the container and slide it out.
3. Cut or trim a few millimetres off the base of the roots and tease out lateral roots so that they splay out horizontally.
4. Sprinkle some slow release fertiliser into and around the hole or use a tablespoon of our Natures Garden Fertiliser.
5. Place plant in the middle of the hole so that the top of the roots are level with the soil surface
6. Backfill the hole with friable good quality soil to just cover over roots to the stem base.
7. Soak well with water and maintain a regular watering programme through dry periods.
8. Keep immediate area around base of plants weed free and lightly mulch from time to time. Do not place mulch right up against the stem as this can cause rot or pest and disease problems.
9. Monitor regularly for pest and disease and treat accordingly.

Potting on into containers:

1. Choose a container that is at least twice the size of the root mass or volume of the plant.
2. To remove the plant from its container, tip upside down and, whilst supporting the plant with one hand, squeeze with the other hand or tap the container and slide it out.
3. Cut or trim a few millimetres off the base of the roots and tease out lateral roots so that they splay out horizontally.
4. Partly fill the container with your potting mix and firm down. Place plant in container so that the roots are covered to just where the stem meets roots at the top. Firm around with fingers.

Water thoroughly and place plant out into shade for a few days before putting back into full sun.

Calla Lilies

These bulbs will produce several flower stems in the summer, making them ideal as attractive garden plants and of course wonderful cut flowers. These bulbs should flower well this summer but a sudden cold snap during active growth can sometimes shut down their ability to flower. If this happens be assured that they will definitely flower prolifically in the second season.

Planting:  Whilst Calla bulbs can be planted straight way it is recommended that the bulbs are stored in a cool, dry cupboard and planted from September onwards. It is important not to plant the bulbs until the soil temperatures reach around 14 degrees. In very cold areas they perform best if planted in pots rather than the cold ground. These Callas make excellent patio/conservatory plants in all areas.

Plant in free draining soil at a depth of 7 – 10cm, in semi-shade to full sun. Apply a general garden fertiliser low in nitrogen.

FOR BEST RESULTS, lift tubers on die-down and store in a cool, dry area for replanting next season.

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