Lily
Lilium
An ornamental plant, planted January to May or September to November.
In September: cut back the lily and lift and divide it. It can be planted now.
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Lily, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant lily bulbs. | usual | usual | usual | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Mulch the lily. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Deadhead the lily. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
| Feed the lily. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut back the lily. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
| Lift and divide the lily. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Planting
Plant lily bulbs January to May, and September to November, 15 to 20cm deep, 15cm apart. Moderate sources: RHS and Farmer Gracy.
Mulch the lily
Spread a 7.5-10cm layer of well-rotted garden compost or leafmould.
Usually March to May. Moderate source: RHS.
Deadhead the lily
Usually June to August. Moderate source: Sarah Raven.
Feed the lily
Give a liquid potash feed such as tomato feed every two weeks.
Usually June to August. Moderate source: Sarah Raven.
Cut back the lily
Once the stems have died down, cut them off at ground level. From RHS.
Usually September to November. Moderate source: Sarah Raven.
Lift and divide the lily
Every 3 to 4 years, not every year.
Usually September to November. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
What not to do
Don’t cut the stems to the ground after flowering
Take off the top third only, and leave the rest until it has gone brown.
Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Lily” comes from.