Tips for Using Lilies as Cut Flowers

A vase of cut lilies adds elegance, fragrance, and a touch of natural beauty to any space. To maximize the lifespan of these stunning blooms, follow these tips for using lilies as cut flowers.
When selecting lilies for cutting, choose flowers in the colored bud stage and allow them to open inside your home. This ensures that the petals won’t be damaged and will allow for easy transportation if necessary. A lily picked in colored bud stage and set in a room temperature location will open in 24 hours or less. As with all cut flowers, warm water and warm temperatures will hasten the opening process. Whereas cold water and cold temperatures will lengthen the opening process.
Lilies should be cut in the early morning or late evening when the plants are most hydrated. Use sharp, clean snips when cutting to avoid crushing or contaminating the stems. If you want the lily to return next year, leave at least 1/3 of the stem behind to replenish the bulb. After cutting, remove any leaves that will fall below the water line to prevent bacterial growth. Then, place the lilies into clean plastic buckets filled with fresh water. Do not use galvanized buckets for harvesting any type of cut flower because the coating on the bucket creates an oily residue in the water that clogs the stems. Allow the lilies to condition in a cool location for a few hours prior to arranging. After conditioning, maximize water uptake by giving the lilies a fresh cut at a 45-degree angle. Then, add floral preservative to the final vase water to further extend their vase life and color retention.
f you plan to sell cut lilies store them in a cooler set to 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit. It's important to cool lilies down gradually to avoid cold damage to the buds. Cold damage occurs when a "hot" lily is immediately put into a cooler resulting in permanent bruising on the buds. Therefore, when harvesting on hot days take care to cool the lilies down gradually before introducing them to the cooler. This can be accomplished by leaving your cooler door open for 15 minutes or letting them condition in a cool room for an hour prior to cooler storage. Cut lily stems can be held in water in a cooler for 7-10 days. Longer storage is not recommended because the leaves will yellow and younger buds may fail to open.
Once the lilies begin to open it’s important to remove the pollen anthers. Lily pollen sheds over time and will stain the flower and nearby fabrics. To remove the pollen, grasp the pollen anthers with a tissue and gently pull them straight out and away from the lily. Take extra care when working with certain OT lilies such as ‘Scheherazade,’ because the force of pulling on the anthers may cause the entire bloom to pop off. To be safe, hold the back of lily flower where the bloom meets the stem with one hand while you pull the pollen off with your dominant hand. This will leave the stigma behind and preserve the look of the lily. Lily pollen is extremely toxic to cats and should be disposed of immediately.

[@norshuhadakhalid324]

Thank you so much fot the tips!!

[@mbelricafortojeda]

❤❤❤

[@elnosworld9893]

i've been working in the four department of a grocery store for the past month
I didn't really know a whole lot and I still don't but what I have learned about lilies as I prefer the rose lily over any other Lilley
They are absolutely divine and very very classy
Unfortunately grocery stores like to get mediocre flowers and I know people probably will get angry with me for saying that about Lilley when you see them every single day and they're pretty much the same variety over and over and over again having a deliveries a month
You get bored looking at boring flowers when they're so much variety out there

[@teresataylor8267]

Excellent information! Thank you for sharing! My favorites I grow are Stargazer, El Presidente, Casa Blanca, Corvara, Muscadet. I give a lot away to neighbors, a local church and they appreciate the flowers.

[@tigerlopez1828]

I’m so happy you posted a lily video!! I just received lily bulbs in the mail but they have already sprouted. I was wondering if I’m still able to place them in a cooler till fall comes or would it be best to plant them since I’ll be planting them in a container