I put out some lilium bulbs several weeks ago. They seemed to be doing well, However I have had to water lightly every day because I am in Oklahoma and the weather is unusually hot right now. I skipped a day of watering thinking they were big enough to go maybe every other day, ready to bloom. Big mistake when I saw them the next evening more than half of them were yellow and wilting. I am not sure of the exact breed all I know is they are common and the bulbs came from wal-mart. can I cut them down and still get blooms this summer?
Few in British Columbia could relate to an Oklahoma spring, I am afraid. Up in Kansas City, I am having great success with the lilies I planted last fall. I think htat is a better time to plant. From the sound of things, I doubt if you will get blooms this year, I am sorry to say. However, I bet next year they will come out OK. I am surprised they couldn't go a day without water. Perhaps a deep watering every few days would be good? We gardeners want to blame ourselves when plants underperform, but these could have been stressed bulbs to start with.
No, it would only be asking for more from them in terms of producing more foliage and they certainly can't handle it. You said you water 'lightly', are you sure you're getting enough water right down to the roots? That's probably what's wrong, but otherwise it's hard to know without knowing the soil they're in or anything.
Possibly, but this forum has an international audience (it's on the web, after all), so the question isn't out of place. The answer to your question is no, though, they won't bloom this summer and will likely die. The bulbs have expended a lot of energy to make the plant grow, and don't have it in them to start anew. The bulb generally regenerates from the foliage providing food post-flowering.
I water till the water slows in going into the ground I suppose it is more of a medium water. the ground is wet but not standing in water. But by the fallowing evening it is dry as a bone. I usually water around 9 or 10 at night since I do not get home from work till around then and I figured it would give time before the sun evapoated all of it. perhaps I should get a mulch of some sort to keep water in?
Boy, that is dry. The plant may be smarter than all of us, and, much as I hate to disagree with estimable Daniel, they may come back next spring. I would let the foliage die as it will and then cut it back. Let the bulb have as much food production as possible. Mulch is a wonderful, wonderful thing. By all means, mulch. Since it is so dry, another lily to try is Eremus, the foxtail lily. Foxtails love dry. In our experience, they grow in the driest, hottest part of the garden. They die back early, by midsummer, and we were afraid ours last year in its first year would not make it. This year, however, they are gorgeous. They are more delicate looking than the lilies I imagine you got, but more beautiful and refined, I think. The foxtails really want it dry during the winter. Why yes, it is an international audience for this forum. Why, I have dialogued Brits, South Americans, Dutch residents and even a Midwesterner or two on the forum. No offense intended to our Canadian hosts.
I will mulch tomarrow and try to saok really well. As far as how often I guess I should check them every day for a while, right? I am not afraid of them completely dying and not coming back next year I have seen bulbs return after a lot of abuse. I just wondered if they had a chance at coming back this year. I will just wait and see. I still have several that are just fine and flowering so my garden is not a total loss. Thanks to all
