Lily trees are the dream of any grower. They beckon with their mystery and incredible chic. Pretty Woman (Pretty Woman, Beautiful Woman, Pretty Woman) - a giant lily with large gorgeous flowers of a snow-white color. The giant lily amazes with its size, beauty and uniqueness. It belongs to the category of OT-hybrids, is unpretentious and resistant to adverse weather conditions.

Lily tree and OT hybrids

Many growers have heard of lily trees, but not many know whether this is a fairy tale or reality. The lily tree is the name for tall species of lilies, some of which reach a height of 2.5 m. This variety of lilies got its name for its incredible size and the tops of peduncles growing like a crown of a tree with a huge number of large flowers. Breeders jokingly call these varieties "goliaths", after the mythical giant of Ancient Greece. Under the guise of giant lilies, the cardiocrinum plant is sometimes sold, which, although a related species, is not a lily.

OT hybrids are a group of lily varieties obtained by crossing Oriental and Trumpet hybrids. The OT prefix is ​​the English abbreviation for Oriental and Trumpet. The history of breeding these hybrids began in the 50s. last century in America. All varieties of this group are distinguished by strong growth, strong and durable shoots. The flowers are large - 20-25 cm. OT hybrids are resistant to diseases and hardy. Used as ornamental garden plants and for cutting. The OT hybrid lily variety Pritti Wumen was bred in Canada and has successfully taken root in Russia.

Lily Pretty Wumen

Plant appearance

Description of the lily tree Pretty Wumen:

  • height - from 1.5 to 2 m;
  • peduncle length - 1 m and more;
  • flowers - 25-30 cm in diameter, first cream, then white, funnel-shaped;
  • up to 35 flowers develop on one bush, emit a very strong aroma;
  • the stems are powerful, do not bend or break under the weight of flowers;
  • the variety is not picky about the soil, the flowering is early, long.
Asiatic lily

The variety is very good in cutting - the flowers remain in bouquets for a long time and tolerate transportation well. They look best in single plantings on lawns, along a path or in a recreation area near a gazebo. In group plantings, they are used as accents.

Important! For a grown lily to meet all the characteristics given in the description, the bulb must be large and healthy. It is not uncommon for the after-forcing bulbs to be sold in flower markets. They are small, weakened, therefore cheap. Large flowers only grow from large bulbs. By saving money on quality, you will not get the expected result.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

Lily Candidum

Lily Pretty Wumen is undemanding to the soil, which allows you to grow this wonderful flower in any area. Acidity is calm, but neutral or slightly acidic soil is best suited. It is not necessary to lime the ground before planting. Stagnant water does not tolerate, so it is advisable to find a hill for the beauty or make good drainage when planting. All OT hybrids cannot tolerate fresh organics. A well-lit place is preferable, but partial shade will not interfere with flowering.

Lilia Pretty Woman is sold in specialized online stores. Buying lily bulbs "off-hand" cannot guarantee the expected results. Planting material should be stored in a dark, cool place before planting. To prevent the bulbs from drying out, they must be placed in peat, moss or sand.There should be no damage, if dry scales are found, they must be removed.

Landing

Lily garden

Lilies are planted in late April-early May or early September. First you need to dig up the soil, remove all weeds. Then dig a hole, 15-20 cm deep, pour water into the hole. Then pour sand or gravel on the bottom with a layer of several centimeters, place the onion in the hole and cover it with earth, cover it with peat on top. A lily tree does not need to be dug out for the winter; it grows well in one place without transplanting for 4-5 years. The first signs of bulb depletion become visible in the fifth year of flowering. At this time, the height of the stem and the number of flowers decrease.

Care

Despite the unpretentiousness of the variety, proper care will ensure health and long-lasting gorgeous flowering of a beauty lily. This will require regular watering and timely fertilization of the plant. In summer, the lily needs watering 1-2 times a week. During the period of active formation of peduncles and buds, watering can be increased, and after the end of flowering, completely stop.

The plant should be fed at a time when the buds are forming. For this, complex mineral fertilizers are used for flowers. Organic fertilizers cannot be applied. An excess of fertilizer during flowering will lead to an early transition of the plant to seed formation and completion of flowering. In mid-August, you need to fertilize the bulb with potassium, this will help it recover from flowering and prepare for winter.

Before the onset of frost, the stem is cut off, leaving 10-20 cm. The top is insulated with a thick layer of mulch, for this needles are well suited. Shelter is enough for wintering, but in the spring it must be removed, preventing the plant from rotting.

Important! When loosening the soil around the lily in the spring, you need to be careful - it has many small fragile sprouts that are easily damaged.

Lily propagation

Little babies are formed on the bulb. They can be removed from a 4-5 year old bulb during transplanting. Experienced gardeners also propagate lily trees with scales. Lily Pritty Wumen is easily propagated by seeds. This is a fairly simple and common breeding method. To do this, it is enough to leave 1-2 fruits until the seeds ripen, the rest of the faded flowers are removed. A huge number of seeds are formed in one box. Lily seeds quickly lose their germination. Therefore, they need to be sown in the first or second year after harvest. They do not need stratification, they can germinate in the dark and in the light.

Lily Pretty Wumen is very beautiful

How to grow a lily from seeds:

  1. Before sowing, the seed is treated with a 1-2% solution of hydrogen peroxide or bleach for disinfection. You can also use a 0.04% zinc sulfate solution for etching.
  2. For quick germination, seeds are soaked for 15 hours in warm water.
  3. You can buy a special soil for seedlings or prepare a mixture of turf and sand, you can add peat and humus.
  4. Seedlings are sown for seedlings in late February and early March. Sowing depth - 0.5 cm, sprinkle with earth or sand on top.
  5. It is advisable to water crops with a sprayer.
  6. From above, you can cover the container with glass or transparent film to create a favorable microclimate.
  7. The best temperature for seed germination is 20-22 g.
  8. After the emergence of shoots, the shelter is first removed for several hours a day, then completely removed.
  9. The containers are placed in a lighted place and the temperature is reduced to 12-20 grams.
  10. Seedlings must be sprayed constantly, preventing the soil from drying out.
  11. After the appearance of the first pair of true leaves, the plants are carefully seated in separate cups.
  12. Further care consists in watering and loosening the soil.
  13. The grown sprouts can be planted in the last days of May - early June.
  14. You should immediately plant the lily in a permanent place in the sun or partial shade.
  15. Plants are planted at a distance of at least 30 cm.

Further care is the same as for adult plants: watering, weeding, loosening. The soil should be loosened very carefully so as not to damage the small bulbs.A lily grown from seed will begin to bloom 3 years after planting. The time spent growing the lily from seed will pay off with the better resistance of the specimens obtained.

Note. You can sow seeds directly into open ground in late autumn. Crops should be well mulched with dry leaves or needles, covered with snow in winter. The first shoots will appear in April. Care for them is the same as for seedlings.

What flower garden is complete without lilies? These lovely and delicate plants leave no one indifferent. Mysterious tree lilies are new and unusual hybrids that true connoisseurs of beauty will not pass by. Florists who have already grown lily trees on their site leave only positive reviews. If you choose good planting material and provide the plant with the necessary care, then Lily Pretty Woman will become the real queen of the garden.