Growing Lily of the Valley Indoors

Enjoy the lily of the valley all year long.

Native to North America, the beautiful lily of the valley blooms outdoors in the middle to late spring, during April and May. Some people find this short growing time unacceptable for the beautiful flower and have forced the lilies into winter blooming by bringing them indoors. This act of forcing the lily to bloom in the winter allows fans of the lily of the valley to enjoy the lovely blooms during the dull winter months and keep homes tinged with the alluring fragrance of the lily. Gardening specialists boast the lily of the valley as one of the easiest plants to bring indoors and enjoy year-round.

Things You'll Need

• Lily of valley pips
• Water
• Flower pots
• Potting mix

Instructions

1. Purchase lily of the valley pips specially formulated for indoor growing. This offers a higher chance of success than purchasing fresh pips that have not been allowed a dormant period before planting.

2. Soak the pips in water. Leave the pips in the bag packaging or place them in a bowl and add lukewarm water to saturate the pips and any surrounding peat moss in the packaging. Allow the pips to sit in the water for about two hours. This soaking encourages the pips to start growing once placed in the soil.

3. Prepare flower pots for the lilies. Fill flower pots with a potting mix comprised mostly of peat moss and void of any soil. Leave a 2-inch empty expanse at the top of each pot.

4. Nip the ends off the lily roots. Cut away the bottom inch of each root to activate the roots and promote instant growing once planted.

5. Plant the lilies. Place the pips into the flower pots so that the top of each pip is only barely visible above the surface of the potting mix. Keep the pips approximately 2 inches apart.

6. Water the lilies immediately after planting. Sprinkle or mist water into the flower pots to soak the soil. As the days pass, keep adding water to maintain moist soil.

7. Set the flower pot in an area of your home that receives a few hours of sunlight each day. Additionally, choose an area with a temperature that ranges between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures in this range promote stronger and taller plants.

Tips & Warnings

• After indoor blooming, you may transplant the lily outdoors. Allow a year after transplanting before expecting any blooms.

References

• Easy to Grow Bulbs.com: Lily of the Valley Growing Information
• Yardener: Planting Lily of the Valley

Resources

• Cornell University: Lily of the Valley