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Step 1
Prepare a bed of well-drained, sandy soil and place the bulbs 6 to 8 inches apart. Add supershosphate or bone meal to the soil to promote flowering and aid root development. Water bulbs well after planting.
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Step 2
Keep them warm. Spider lilies do well indoors and in hot climates, though they do need a three-month rest (dormancy) period. Early hard frosts kill foliage and damage the bulbs.
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Step 3
Expose spider lilies to full sun for best results, though partial shade is acceptable.
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Step 4
Water spider lilies often. Don't allow the soil to dry out and expose them to high humidity conditions if potted indoors.
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Step 5
Deadhead the plant. In other words, remove dead blooms as they begin to fade to prevent the plant from seeding. Seeding requires significant energy, and deadheading allows the plant to "rest" and flower more than once.
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Step 6
Dig out and divide mature bulbs as soon as the lily's leaves begin to yellow. After 4 or 5 years, crowding and sinking can hinder flowering in these plants. Replant the bulb necks slightly above the soil surface.
