Growing Asiatic Lilies

Hi everybody and welcome! While browsing at one of the local nurseries I saw a large display of one of my favorite spring flowers, Asiatic Lilies. These plants can provide as easy to grow, colorful addition to your garden and landscape. The bulbs are hardy and require minimal care.

There are two ways to can add these brightly colored flowers to your garden. You can purchase the bulbs and start from scratch or you can buy the Lilies already in full bloom at your local grower.

Asiatic Lilies bulbs may be planted in Florida almost anytime, but they bloom best in spring. Never plant your lilies in an area that might be subject to standing water, as this will rot the bulbs. An area with well draining soil is a must. In addition, you will want to place your plants in an area that gets some sun as an all shade environment will lead to stems that get a spindly look over time.

You can fertilize your colorful gems with a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote once every 3 months or so. Always follow label directions when applying any fertilizer to your plants.

There are very few pests that affect Asiatic Lilies but rabbits may take advantage of some of the newer, tender shoots along with Aphids. For aphids, you can use an all-natural remedy of about a tablespoon of ordinary dish soap mixed with about a quart of water to spray on your plants. Always spray in very early morning or in the evening. Never spray your plants during the times of hot direct sunlight to avoid burning the leaves of your plants.

To keep your lilies looking their best, always remove (deadhead) your flowers as they fade and the petals begin to drop. This keeps the energy in the plant instead of the energy going to seed production.

Use Of Malathion

Sooner or later you are going to have to use a chemical insecticide in your garden or possibly on your citrus trees in order to combat pests. Malathion is one of the safest chemical insecticides you can use. This versatile chemical has many uses which include combating garden pests, citrus tree pests, mosquito control and it is even used on humans for head lice and scabies. When applied according to recommended amounts specified on the label, this product can be used without posing a huge risk to human health. For safety, always spray your indoor plants outdoors and allow the product to dry completely before bringing your plants back inside. Although Malathion itself has low toxicity, in an indoor environment, it can break down to another chemical called malaoxon, which is much more toxic then the Malathion itself. That is why it is extremely important to follow these safety measures if you need to use this product on your indoor plants.

As with all insecticides, always practice safety when applying it to your plants. Be sure to use rubber gloves and goggles when applying.

In addition, this chemical breaks down quite rapidly so it is not a significant hazard to the environment. That is why it is often the insecticide that is used for mosquito control in your neighborhood.

Malathion has many uses for the weekend gardener. You can use it to control pests on your vegetable garden and also on your favorite shrubs. One word of caution: Do not use Malathion on Hibiscus or Ixoria as it may cause the plants to rapidly shed their leaves. In this case, use Orthenex instead. Malathion is also a great choice if you experience pest problems on your citrus trees. Always follow label directions and remember that more is not necessarily better.