A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 lilies dieing

I transplanted lilies last year from a funeral arrangement. I lost one last year, and I have two others doing the same now. They bloom, and then turn yellow before they should and then die. The soil is poor, but the other lilies seem to be doing fine. Any suggestions on what to do?

Welcome!! Sounds like a possible drainage problem. I've done the same thing with easter lilies and haven't had problems. They aren't very rugged plants, so poor soil could also be creating a problem.

I wondered about the drainage, but I have a taller one right beside it, and it looks great. Do you think 20-20-20 fertilizer would hurt them? I love lilies, but don't know much about them at all. Thanks for replying to me.

did you plant them too deep?

I guess I could have, but they came up and bloomed this year, and then they start dieing.

without more info or photos.. so hard to tell. Also are they lilies that die after blooming? could it be a root rot? could be a kind of root borer? just a pathogen that didn't show its ugly head until environmental conditions were right...

Also extra fertilizer can hurt them. Pushing plants to grow can in some cases, reduce their ability to fight on insects and pathogens.

is there spotting on the foliage? does it look like wet marks? is the yellowing inner vainel? did you dig a bulb up and smell it? does it stink? it is mushy?

I haven't fertilized yet. I dug a couple up and the bulbs were soft. They had made babies though. I thought I'd try and replant the ones I dug up somewhere else and see what happens.