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dani0025

Lily of the vally questions

Dani0025
10 years ago

Let me start off by saying hopefully this is where this belongs!
I have a HUGE group if LOV and I really love it. I just let it be and it grows. I havent had a ton of luck with other plants.
So my first question is when is a good time to transplant? I'd like to move some of this to other spots. Also I read somewhere that they prefer shade, do you think they would do ok in afternoon sun? I want to put some in front of my shed but it gets full sun after about 2pm. And lasty its a pretty sandy spot. Will they do ok there or should I amend the soil?
Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated. Ive got quite a "black thumb" haha

Comments (5)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    if you have a huge amount.. just do it.. what the worse that can happen... you lose a few of your millions???

    mine are in mineral sand.. no need to waste time nor money on amending soil ... LOV wont care ...

    i would surely do it in fall..

    NOT JULY/AUGUST ... thats when black thumbs do it.. lol.. but that said.. i still bet many would survive... with some decent watering ...

    i learned all my gardening pre WWW .... i just experimented with extra plants i had .... and i didnt worry... if i killed things.. that is what gardeners do ...

    just do it...

    ken

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    10 years ago

    From my experience, they will grow and bloom in full sun, but when the hot weather arrives, they crisp and go dormant, but return the next spring.

    I had a bunch growing on the south side of my house and that's what I observed. I never watered them, they got scorched each summer, but returned the next year.

    Kevin

  • trovesoftrilliums
    10 years ago

    Around town I also have seen them go dormant during hot spells if planted in sun. I have a few clumps but they are all in shade.

    As far as when to transplant, ideally wait until fall. But, I do think they are tough survivors. I dug up a clump late spring and didn't have a spot for it so I set the clump down in a shady spot. Well, I still don't have a spot for it and it is doing just fine.

  • Dani0025
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks!
    I think Ill wait until it gets cooler. 100+ degrees the last couple of days sooo definatly to hot right now! As far as them getting brown in the sun, thats ok with me. I dont much care for how the leaves look after them bloom anyway.
    Will they do ok if I mow down the leaves after they bloom? Ive got a serious bug problem at the moment and Ive considered mowing them over, but havrnt because I dont know if they will come back!
    Thanks again!

  • gardenweed_z6a
    10 years ago

    With LOTV, your black thumb shouldn't be a factor. They're tough as nails but if you're transplanting them, I'd recommend you do it in the fall rather than in mid-summer--reduces the number of casualties due to hot, dry conditions. Generally speaking, mid-summer isn't when you want to start transplanting perennials, bulbs or shrubs. For spring-blooming perennials it's best to transplant in fall; for fall-blooming perennials it's best to transplant in spring.

    When I moved here I had a friend come with his backhoe & scrape up a huge patch of LOTV from where they were growing--in full sun--and dump them down along the back boundary in full shade. Judging from the fact they were growing on the north side of my house in full shade as well as in full sun, I'm guessing they took off where he dumped them. Like periwinkle/vinca, in ideal soil/growing conditions they're virtually indestructible.

    As for soil, I can only vouch for where it grew here which is organic sandy soil.

    Word to the wise--plant it where you'll want it several generations down the road. When I moved here & tried to dig it up with a shovel, I discovered roots more than a foot below the soil that were as big around as my thumb & almost 24 ft. long.

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