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When To Plant Tiger Lily Bulbs? [Gardening Ideas]

Did you plant Tiger Lily bulbs to fill your garden with large, showy, bright blooms, but they never sprouted? You probably planted it at the wrong time. 

Generally, The best time to plant Tiger Lily bulbs is early spring or late fall when the plant enters dormancy. Moreover, the soil must be workable with no risks of frost. 
Moreover, you must plant the bulbs 1 inch deep in moist soil. With proper care, the bulbs will grow in 2-5 feet tall stems with green, smooth leaves.
So, dig into this article entirely to know the best place and time to plant Tiger Lily bulbs and enjoy the beautiful blooms in late June to early August.

What do Tiger Lily Bulbs Look Like?

Tiger Lily bulbs are round and elongated modified stems with a few small roots facing downwards and small buds facing upwards.

Usually, these brown-colored bulbs look like onion or garlic, having several small, clustered bulbs protected with thin outer layers.

Garlic-like Tiger Lily Bulb
The pointed ends of the bulbs change into shoots, later producing green leaves and bright flowers.

Moreover, these 2-6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide bulbs sprout into tall stems bearing spotted orange, red or yellow blossoms.

You can also propagate and produce new Tiger Lily Plants from small bulbs called bulbils found on the matured plant’s stems. 

When to Plant Tiger Lily Bulbs?

The best and proper time to plant Tiger Lily bulbs is early spring before the new growth occurs. However, you can also plant them in the fall during dormancy.

Moreover, planting the bulbs in the fall will allow bulbs to establish growing roots and sprout into new plants.

Tiger Lily can thrive anywhere as long as you provide them with 6-8 hours of full sun and well-draining soil. But it’s best to plant bulbs in the empty spot of the garden as it spreads quickly through their underground runners.

Tiger Lily bulbs can also grow very well in pots with enough drainage holes, but ensure to repot them in a big container later.

Remember, the Tiger Lilies are not true water plants, so planting them directly into the aquarium is a bad idea and can cause bulb rot.

But you can always plant the bulbs in pots and keep them in the backside of the aquarium to enjoy their bloom. Remember not to make the soil soggy.

As Tiger Lily is a perennial, you can only see it blooming with a few flowers in the second year after planting. After the third year, your Tiger Lily will be full of blossoms in mid to late summer. 

From Editorial Team

Harvest Tiger Lily Seeds From Flowers!

Once the Tiger Lily flowers dry, they produce seed pods with seeds, letting you harvest them and grow a new Tiger Lily.

However, growing Tiger Lily from seeds is a long process and isn’t as sustainable as growing it from bulbs.

Moreover, the plant may lose its vigor after producing seeds. So you must deadhead the faded flowers to maintain their beauty for a long time.

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