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Lilium
Botanical Name – Lilium sp.
Family- Liliaceae

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

Soil and Climate

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

climate –

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

Propagation
Liliums are commercially propagated through bulbs. A six week cold storage period
at 2oC to 5
oC is needed to break dormancy. Bulbs can be stored at – 2
0C up to one year.
Spacing
20 x 15 cm, 15 x 15 cm or 15 x 10 cm (plant density varies between 30 and 60/m
2
depending on cultivar and bulb 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
1)Aphids
Spray any one of the following:
 Imidacloprid 17.8 % SL @ 1 ml/lit.
 Dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml/lit.

2)Mites:
Spray any one of the following:
 Abamectin 1.9 EC@ 0.4 ml/lit.
 Propargite 57 EC @ 2 ml/lit.
 Wettable sulphur 50WP @ 1.5 g/lit.

3)Thrips:
Spray any one of the following:
 Dimethoate 30EC @ 2ml/lit.
 Methyl demeton 25EC @ 2 ml/lit.

Disease

1)Grey mould: Spray zineb @ 2g/l
2)Bulb and scale rot: Soil drenching with carbendazim @ 1g/l or difenoconazole @ 0.5ml/l
2)Foot rot & Root rot: Soil drenching with metalaxyl @ 0.1%

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 flower stems/m2