Planting Guide - Lily of the Valley

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Planting Guide - Lily of the Valley
Easy to Grow Bulbs

The Sweet Scent of Spring, Whenever You Need It

When it comes to seasonal scents, for many "spring" can be summed up by one flower: lily of the valley. This dainty blossom has an appearance and fragrance that match; both are clean, sweet and loved by all.

Like paperwhites, lily of the valley can be forced in just 3 to 4 weeks indoors for much-needed middle of the winter fragrance. Most people don't realize how easy this is to do. See our tips below for both outdoor and indoor blooms. Then treat yourself. For less than $20 you can sneak past Mother Nature and have "spring" delivered early.

Outdoor Beds

1. Find a location where the soil drains well. If there are still water puddles 5-6 hours after a hard rain, scout out another site. Or amend the soil with the addition of organic material to raise the level 2"-3" to improve the drainage. Peat moss, compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well and are widely available. Lily of the valley plants like evenly moist areas but will not be happy in soils that are water logged.

2. Site your "pips" or bulbous roots where they will receive light to moderate shade.

3. Here's an insider's trick. Soak your pips in lukewarm water before planting. The pips will absorb water, wake up and be ready to take off. Just take the plastic bag your pips are shipped in, add enough lukewarm water so the peat in the bag is saturated and leave the bag in your sink for a couple of hours. The pips should swell a bit and become hard.

4. Before tucking your pips into the planting medium, snip the last inch off the roots. This will activate the roots, encourage moisture uptake and jump start the growing process. Plant your lily of the valley so the tops barely poke above the soil surface, about 1 1/2" apart. Don't wait too long, as pips can dry up if left out of the ground (and out of a humidity controlled cooler) for more than a week or ten days.

5. After planting, water generously, soaking the soil. Top growth will begin to form very quickly, usually in just a week, depending on the amount of available warmth and moisture.

6. When in bloom, feel free to cut the petite bell-shaped flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants and these flowers are some of the best for small, scented bedside bouquets.

7. After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year's show. Water as needed. Leaves may be removed if they yellow later in the season. This depends location as lily of the valley make a nice evergreen groundcover in most areas.

8. Your plants will bloom again next spring and will gradually fill in with underground runners, creating a denser, larger fragrant patch.

Pots, Tubs & Urns

1. Fill your containers with good quality, well-drained soil. Almost any commercially available potting medium will work fine. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes so the soil does not become waterlogged.

2. Site containers where they will receive light to medium shade.

3. Here's an insider's trick. Soak your pips in lukewarm water before planting. The pips will absorb water, wake up and be ready to take off. Just take the plastic bag your pips are shipped in, add enough lukewarm water so the peat in the bag is saturated and leave the bag in your sink for a couple of hours. The pips should swell a bit and become hard.

4. Before tucking your pips into the planting medium, snip the last inch off the roots. This will activate the roots, encourage moisture uptake and jump start the growing process. Plant your lily of the valley so the tops barely poke above the soil surface, about 1 1/2" apart. Don't wait too long, as pips can dry up if left out of the ground (and out of a humidity controlled cooler) for more than a week or ten days.

5. After planting, water generously, soaking the soil. Top growth will begin to form very quickly, usually in just a week, depending on the amount of available warmth and moisture.

6. When in bloom, feel free to cut the petite bell-shaped flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants.

7. After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year's show. Water as needed. Leaves may be removed if they yellow later in the season. This depends location as lily of the valley make a nice evergreen groundcover in most areas.

8. Your plants will bloom again next spring and will gradually fill in the available container space with underground runners, creating a denser fragrant show.

Forcing Lily of the Valley Indoors

Lily of the valley are among the easiest, most rewarding plants to force indoors. We have a friend who orders these at 3-week intervals all winter and enjoys wonderfully fragrant blooms throughout the cold months. Then she plants the pips outdoors. You should see (and smell) her shady side yard in the spring - incredible!

1. Find a pretty container that is 3" or more deep. Add planting medium that will hold moisture well. A potting mix with a high percentage of peat moss is a good choice.

2. Here's an insider's trick. Soak your pips in lukewarm water before planting. The pips will absorb water, wake up and be ready to take off. Just take the plastic bag your pips are shipped in, add enough lukewarm water so the peat in the bag is saturated and leave the bag in your sink for a couple of hours. The pips should swell a bit and become hard.

3. Before tucking your pips into the planting medium, snip the last inch off the roots. This will activate the roots, encourage moisture uptake and jump start the growing process. Plant your lily of the valley so the tops barely poke above the soil surface, about 1 1/2" apart. Don't wait too long, as pips can dry up if left out of the ground (and out of a humidity controlled cooler) for more than a week or ten days.

4. After planting, water generously, soaking the soil. Top growth will begin to form very quickly, usually in just a week. Keep the soil evenly moist as these grow rapidly and need water to do so. Place your pot in a cool area - 60-70 degrees is ideal - with the lower end of this range producing taller, stronger plants. Low light is preferred; do not place on a sunny windowsill.

5. When in bloom, feel free to cut the petite bell-shaped flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants.

6. After blooming has finished leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. Transplant to a shady area outdoors when the weather is mild, if you like. These may take a year to recover from forcing, but once settled in will flower for many years to come.

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