How To Care For and Grow Lily Of The Valley Plant

The “Lily of the Valley” plant (Convallaria majalis) is one of the sweetest smelling blooming plants during the late spring season as well as the early summer in the northern temperate zone. Their stems are covered with small white, bell-shaped flowers that have a sweet smelling scent and medium-sized bright green leaves that have a lance shape, 3-5 inches wide and 4-8 inches high.



It is a moisture loving plant that forms a spreading mass with red seed pods remaining after flowering making the plant look attractive even after blooming. The plant is easy-care and does not require much to thrive. It prefers partial shade and moist soil. The plants are adaptable and will grow very well in dry shade. Lily of the valley can also be adapted to full shade or full sun, depending on the amount of moisture it has.
 

Planting Guide For Lily Of The Valley

The Lily of the Valley flower works well as a cut flower. It is also known as “Our Lady’s Tears” as it is said that it grew where Eve’s tears fell when they were driven out of the garden of Eden.
 

Planting Lily Of The Valley Outdoors

During the fall and early spring, lily of the valley is bare root sold as pips. These are the rhizomes from which the flowers grow. The pips should be planted during the spring immediately after the ground has been plowed. The “Valley Lily” can also be sold as a container potted plant during the year. It can be transplanted to the garden during the growing season.

Be aware all parts of the plant are toxic to human. If you have little children it should be planted with care. The location you choose should have well-drained soil and receive partial sun. The Lily of the Valley plant is not choosy on the soil it grows in. However, it does not do well in swampy conditions.



It prefers humus-rich, moist soil. Soils can be amended by adding organic material such as decomposed manure or peat moss. Lily of the valley spreads very fast and it may over-run other flowers. It prefers partial shade, but it can also tolerate full sun in areas with cooler summers. Once a location has been chosen, the pips should be soaked in lukewarm water before planting. The pips will swell as they absorb water. This acts as a head start to encourage growth.

If the pips have roots, snip them about half an inch at the end to encourage branching out, and the flowers will have a greater chance of flourishing. The pips should be placed about one and a half inches apart and the top slightly above the surface of the soil. Ensure they are well watered. Depending on the weather, plants should start to grow in about a weeks’ time. The leaves of this herbaceous perennial are dark green and oval-shaped and bloom in mid to late spring in most locations.

Allow the foliage to remain after blooming as this will feed the pips for more flowers in the next spring. This perennial plant lily over time will fill the ground like a carpet with green leaves and the garden will have delicate scent of its flowers. If you notice a reduction in the display of flowers, you can thin out the plant. Cutting back the leaves is not necessary, but you can spread mulch over the tops of the plant to provide it with enough nutrients.
 

Planting In A Container As A Potted Plant

Lily of the valley also does well as a potted container plant. The container should have sufficient drainage before it is filled with potting soil that is humus-rich. Place the container in a location that receives partial sun. Just like planting outdoors, soak the pips in warm water for a few hours, cut roots by half an inch to stimulate growth. While planting ensure that the tip barely peeks out of the soil and water well.
 

How To Care For Valley Lily Plants

Lily of the valley is an attractive addition to the garden or home landscape due to its aesthetic characteristics. For the best results give them…

• Aged manure

• Peat moss

• Perlite

• Water soluble fertilizer

Once you have these things the following steps should be followed

1. Ensure that your plant is in the right location as mentioned earlier. The location should be cleared of any existing vegetation to prevent competition.
2. Spread a 3-inch layer of the aged manure, peat moss and perlite over the soil. Using the organic amendments, work with them in the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
3. When planting ensure plants are at the same level as in the nursery container. Watering should be done promptly to settle the soil and encourage the plant to take root.
4. To keep the soil moist, watering should be consistent. Fertilize in the spring with balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer and use water soluble fertilizer throughout the season. A top dressing of compost and aged manure to provide more nutrients.
5. Lily of the valley is an aggressive plant and it can colonize ground cover and easily crowd the neighboring foliage. Consider planting it in a plant container or flower beds that have borders so as to control its aggressive spread.

Propagating Lily Of The Valley

• Hand pruners

• Pitchfork or spade

• Garden hose

• Bleach solution (at the rate of 10% bleach in water)

• Sharp knife

• Cutting board

• Compost
   

Follow the steps below:

1. With the hand pruner (we like the Felco #2), cut the wilted plants foliage down to six inches. This will help reduce water loss through the leaves during the propagation and transplant process.
2. Using a pitchfork or garden spade, dig the rhizome clump out of the bed. To avoid harming the roots, allow enough clearance from the plant. Dig out as much soil than pick out the rhizomes.
3. Use the garden hose to gently spray the root mass to allow clear visibility of the rhizome. Use your fingers to clear lumps of soil and do it carefully not to damage the roots.
4. In the bleach solution, dip the the rhizome for 10 seconds. This should kill any diseases that the plant may be susceptible to.
5. The knife should also be dipped into the bleach solution for sanitization.
6. The rhizome should then be held flat on the cutting board to locate the “eyes.” Any pink protrusion on the rhizome is an eye and this is where new plants will bud from. The rhizome should be cut with at least two eyes in each segment.
7. Use a soil rich in compost and plant the rhizome two to three inches deep.
8. Lily of the valley can also be started from seeds, but will require lots of care until they are strong enough for transplant.
9. Clumps should be divided every four to six years. A tell sign that the plant needs division is when the blooms appear to be fewer in number and are less spectacular.