How to Care for Lily of the Valley Plants
Lily of the Valley, known botanically as Convallaria majalis, is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial plant that is native to the cool temperate regions of Asia, Europe and the United States. Requiring cool temperatures, moist soil and partial shade, Lily of the Valley can be grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 through 7. An attractive addition to a garden or home landscape, Lily of the Valley boasts bright green leaves and characteristic fragrant, bell-shaped flowers in white or very pale pink. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Lily of the Valley plant
- Shovel
- Spade
- Aged manure
- Peat moss
- Perlite
- Water soluble fertilizer
Instructions
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Select a suitable planting location for your Lily of the Valley. Choose a partial shade location in your garden or home landscape that receives four to six hours of filtered or dappled sunlight each day. Look for a location that also provides rich, fertile and well-draining soil.
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Prepare your planting location carefully before planting your Lily of the Valley. Clear the area of any existing vegetation to prevent it from competing with your Lily of the Valley for moisture and nutrients. Spread a 3-inch layer of equal parts aged manure, peat moss and perlite over the surface of the soil at your planting area. Work the organic amendments into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
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Plant your Lily of the Valley in the prepared planting location at the same level it was planted in its nursery container. Pack down the surface of the soil to secure the Lily of the Valley in its new location.
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Water your Lily of the Valley promptly after planting to settle the soil and encourage your plant to take root. Continue to water your Lily of the Valley as often as necessary to keep its soil consistently moist.
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Fertilize your Lily of the Valley in October with a balanced, water soluble fertilizer used according to package directions. Apply a top dressing of equal parts compost and aged manure to provide additional nutrients.
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Tips & Warnings
Lily of the Valley can also be grown in containers using the same cultivation requirements.
Lily of the Valley is an aggressive, colonizing groundcover that can easily crowd out neighboring foliage. Consider planting Lily of the Valley in a planting container or bordered flower bed to minimize its aggressive spread.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit lily of the valley image by Aidairi from Fotolia.com
