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Home , Lilium, Lilium candidum

(Lily) CULTIVATION B.N. Family: Native: Temperate northern hemisphere

Introduction Lilium (Members of which are true lilies) is a of herbaceous flowering growing from , all with large prominent . Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range extends into the northern subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies. Lily, the common name applied to herbaceous flowering plants belonging to the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae. The genus contains between 80 and 100 species, native to the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Lilies are prized as ornamental plants, and they have been extensively hybridized. The true lilies are erect perennial plants with leafy stems, scaly bulbs, usually narrow leaves, and solitary or clustered flowers. The flowers consist of six petallike segments, which may form the shape of a trumpet, with a more or less elongated tube, as in the Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) and Easter lily (L. longiflorum). Alternatively, the segments may be reflexed (curved back) to form a turban shape, as in the Turk’s cap lily (L. martagon); or they may be less strongly reflexed and form an open cup or bowl shape, as in L. umbellatum and L. auratum. The flowers of some species are quite fragrant, and they occur in a wide variety of colours. Plants of most species range in height from 30 to 120 cm (1–4 feet); plants of certain species, however, exceed 2.5 m (8 feet) in height.

Varieties:

Asiatic hybrids :

Dreamland (yellow), Brunello (orange), Novona (white), Pollyanna (yellow), Yellow Giant (yellow), Vivaldi (pink), Black Out (Deep red)

Oriental hybrids:

Star Gazer (Pink & white), Nerostar, Siberia, Acapulco (cyclamen pink) and Casablanca

Eastern lily (L. longiflorum): Elegant Lady, Ace, Snow Queen, White, American, Croft and Harbor. Royal Sunset Lily Sorbonne Oriental Lilly

Climate: Liliums are best grown in green houses. Day temperature of 18-22°C and night temperature of 10-15°C are ideal.

Soil:Well drained sterile medium (preferably leaf mould, cocopeat and FYM in equal parts) with pH 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal. Fumigate the beds with Dazomet @ 30g/m2.

Propagation: Liliums are commercially propagated through bulbs. A six week cold storage period at 2oC to 5oC is needed to break dormancy. Bulbs can be stored at - 20C up to one year.

Spacing: 20 x 15 cm, 15 x 15 cm or 15 x 10 cm ( density varies between 30 and 60/m2 depending on and size)

Irrigation: 6- 8 litres/m2/day during summer and 5 - 6 litres/m2/day during winter

Nutrition: The following fertigation schedule can be adopted.

Nutrients Quantity (g/m2/week) Asiatic Oriental Calcium Nitrate 2.5 2.5 19:19:19 0.5 0.5 Potassium Nitrate 2.2 2.3 Micronutrient mixture 1.2 1.2

Crop support: Supporting plants with nylon mesh is advisable.

Plant protection:

Pests: : Apply Imidacloprid 17.8 % SL @ 1 ml/l or Dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml/l

Mites: Spray Wettable sulphur @ 1.5 g/l or Abamectin @ 0.4 ml/l or Propargite @ 2 ml/l. Thrips: Spray Methyl demeton 25EC @ 2 ml/ or Dimethoate 30EC @ 2ml/l

DISEASES:

Grey mould: Spray Zineb @ 2g/l

Bulb and scale rot:Soil drenching with Carbendazim @ 1g/l or Difenoconazole @ 0.5ml/l

Foot rot & rot: Soil drenching with Metalaxyl @ 0.1%

Botrytis Blight:Dark brown spots on leaves,spraying of carbendazim @ 2g/lit of water effectively control the disease.

Harvest: Harvesting is done when lower most bud shows colour (colour breaking stage) but is not open.

Crop duration:

Asiatic hybrids : 8 - 10 weeks Oriental hybrids : 14 - 16 weeks

Yield: The average yield is 30 - 40 stems/m2

References 1. Deshraj, 2015. Floriculture At A Glance, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana-India. 2. Randhawa, G.S. and Mukhopadhyay A. 1998. Floriculture In India, Allied Publishers Limited, New Delhi, India. 3. Gupta S.N. 2019. Instant Horticulture, Jain Brothers, New Delhi. 4. http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in