How to deadhead lilies

How to deadhead lilies

Find out how to deadhead lilies to keep the flowers coming.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
At its best
At its best

Plant is not at its best in January

Plant is not at its best in February

Plant is not at its best in March

Plant is not at its best in April

Plant is not at its best in May

Plant is not at its best in June

Plant is at its best in July

Plant is at its best in August

Plant is not at its best in September

Plant is not at its best in October

Plant is not at its best in November

Plant is not at its best in December

To do
To do

Do not To do in January

Do not To do in February

Do not To do in March

Do not To do in April

Do not To do in May

Do not To do in June

Do To do in July

Do To do in August

Do not To do in September

Do not To do in October

Do not To do in November

Do not To do in December

Deadheading lilies will encourage more flowers to form and prolong their display. It will also divert energy away from seed production, which can reduce flowering performance in subsequent years. If you’re growing martagon lilies, don’t deadhead these as these will gradually self-seed.

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Follow this easy advice on deadheading lilies the right way.

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You Will Need

  • Secateurs

Total time:

Step 1

Tidy up the lily flowerheads once the petals have fallen, trimming them back to just above a pair of leaves.

Trimming back to just above a pair of leaves
Trimming back to just above a pair of leaves
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When tidying up lilies, leave as much main stem and as many leaves as possible as these will help the bulb build up its food reserves for next year.

Secateurs