- Overwinter hardy torch lilies outdoors
- Precautions for wintering
- Bring torch lilies over the winter in a bucket
- tips and tricks
The home of most torch lily varieties is southern and south-eastern Africa. Very few rocket flowers therefore tolerate sub-zero temperatures or a lot of moisture. If you want to cultivate torch lilies in the garden, it is best to buy varieties that are designated as hardy.
Overwinter hardy torch lilies outdoors
Even hardy torch lilies suffer from the cold and even more from the wet, which causes the roots to rot in winter.
Ensure a good location when planting. It should be sheltered from the wind and have well-drained soil.
To overwinter hardy torch lilies outdoors, you need to protect the plant from too much moisture, which comes from snow or heavy rain.
Precautions for wintering
- Do not cut foliage
- Tie leaves together
- cover plant
- Protect from the blazing winter sun
In order to overwinter torch lilies in the perennial bed, you must not cut the evergreen foliage in autumn. Tie the grass-like leaves together at the top so that they cover the middle of the plant. This will prevent the heart of the plant from being covered with snow and becoming too damp.
Even hardy varieties should be provided with winter protection. Particularly suitable materials are:
- dry foliage
- fir branches
- straw
Make sure you only use very dry material for winter protection. This reduces the risk of the soil or winter protection becoming moldy.
Bring torch lilies over the winter in a bucket
Torch lilies that are only partially hardy should not be placed outdoors. They would not survive low temperatures even with winter protection. This is not only due to the cold, but also to the increased humidity in winter. It is therefore better to plant the ornamental perennials in a bucket that you can bring into the house in winter.
Place the torch lily in a frost-free place that is as bright as possible and only pour some water when the soil is completely dry.
As soon as it is frost-free outside again, you can take the torch lily out of its winter quarters.
tips and tricks
Digging up non-hardy torch lilies in the fall, wintering them indoors, and planting them out again in the spring isn't a solution. The perennials rarely set flowers in the first year after planting.