Introduction
Lilium auratum, pronounced LEE-lium AU-rah-tum, is commonly called Golden-rayed lily and one of the few existing true lilies native to Eastern Asia and Northern and Central Japan. It is mainly found in hilly and volcanic mountainsides.
Lilium Auratum is a herbaceous, flowering species that can exist for more than one year, depending on its care. Lilium auratum has beautiful white and gold radial markings, sometimes with a touch of orange spots all over. The color varies with species.
Unlike some ornamental plants, Lilium auratum cannot survive in low light or soft shades.
Growing Lilium Auratum can be a bit challenging as it does not require fertilizers and compost. In fact, compost and fertilizers hinder the growth of Lilium auratum. Also, it is not self-pollinating and requires bees before pollination can occur. Lilium Auratum belong to the Liliaceae family.
Lilium auratum grows in slightly sandy and medium-loamy soils. It grows on slightly moist and well-aerated soil. They also grow well in soils that have very little or zero nutritional content.
Plant recommendation: need a tropical look to your home then get yourself the Calathea magic star.
Why prune Lilium auratum
Pruning helps to remove damaged roots of Lilium auratum that slugs or bacteria may have damaged. The removal of these damaged parts helps in improving the growth of the plant.
For old or damaged Lilium auratum plants, pruning can help in rejuvenating. Proper cutting can help activate the dormant growth cells and help repair the damaged section, facilitating growth.
Pruning gives it more balance. It is not uncommon for Lilium auratum plants to grow unevenly as one side has more luscious leaves than the other, causing an imbalance in the overall plant physiology. To create more balance and encourage stability, pruning helps remove the excess growth, balancing the lopsided part.
Pruning helps in creating space that eventually aids growth. For plant lovers who possess two or more plant pots in their homes or garden, overcrowding leaves are difficult to control. These leaves touch other leaves causing the plants to compete in sunlight and space. With pruning, the overstretched parts can be cut off to grow the new ones.
What is pruning?
Pruning is a cultural practice of removing selected parts of plants which may be stems, branches, roots, for various reasons aimed at facilitating growth to the plant. Often, pruning was targeted to remove dead, decayed, damaged, or vestigial parts of plants. Depending on the reason for the pruning, there are several subcategories of pruning.
Although pruning can be done at any time of the year, some plants do not thrive well unless pruned in the proper seasons. Pruning is often done when the weather condition allows or facilitates the growth of new plant parts as woody plants tend to bleed profusely and heal slowly.
Benefits of Pruning
To give the plants a better shape
Pruning can help correct imbalance in the Lilium auratum growth. Most plants are known to be geotropic, favoring one side over the other, causing an imbalance in the shared weight. With pruning, the excesses can be trimmed off and the weight balanced.
To avoid nutrient wastage.
There are some parts of a plant that have no function but exist. They do not take part in the plant’s everyday duties, but they receive equal nutrients; these parts are called Vestigial parts. They are known to be the weed-like part, and their existence leads to competition for space, nutrients, and water with the necessary parts. To avoid the wastage of nutrients, pruning is done to remove these parts.
To remove old wood, inhibiting the growth of new ones.
There are cases where the dominant old wood of the Lilium auratum stops new woods from developing. Once this is discovered, the targeted old wood can be chopped off to give room for the new wood.
Plant inspiration: looking for something different, then checkout the Amazonian elephant’s ear which is a cross over.
Types of Tropical Terrarium
There are different sub-species of the tropical terrarium plants, and they include:
● Lilium auratum
● Biophytum sensitivum
● Neoregelia spp.
● Microsorum musifolium
● Lilium auratum platyphyllum
Tips to prune
Get the angle right, preferably at 45 degrees.
Pruning does not only include making cuts on the plants, but it also takes into consideration the parts to be cut off and the angle of the cuts to be made. Making a cut that is at 45 degrees that slants away from the direction of the bud is recommended. It reduces the chance of rot occurring, helps the stems to shrug off liquid quickly, and protects the delicate interior bud.
Notching Lilium auratum
Notching is a method of creating an artificial branch on a plant. It is done by making a small cut on the plant’s trunk, forcing the plants to create a branch for the cut trunk without taking away any height.
Should you notch?
Notching depends on the individual’s choice and the plant’s look. Does your plant only grow upwards towards the sky and have little to no basal balance? If so, then notching should be done. If otherwise, there is no need to notch your plant.
Tips to notch
After making the incision, patience is the next attribute to possess. Although regrowth may be slow, as long as your plant is receiving its usual dosage of nutrients and the notch has an adequate supply of sunlight, then it should grow.
Pinching Lilium auratum
Should you pinch
Pinching is mostly recommended for scanty plants. If the plants only grow on a stem with few attached branches, the pinching may be recommended to allow for the growth of new stems that will eventually house new plant branches.
Tips of pinching
Ensure the pinching is done with a sharp and sterilizing shear. Use the shears to cut down any yellow or non-green foliage. Remove the stem stalk that contains mainly brown leaves. If there are few brown leaves on the stem, remove the leaves instead.
Should you deadhead?
Deadheading a Lilium auratum plant is easy. Once a lily flower blossoms and fades, break the faded flower off the plant with a shear or fingers. Fingers perform a clean break off than the shears. Ensure it is broken properly to avoid seed pod production.
Avoid breaking off any additional parts like the leaves with the faded flower, as the plant needs all essential features to muster growth.
Plant inspiration: looking for something that can brighten your home, then check out the fiery Calathea crocata.
Why do Lilium auratum branches need trimming
When to trim
The best time to trim Lilium auratum is towards late fall or early spring. This period allows for the easy regrowth of the pruned parts.
Tips to encourage growth
Watering: They require at least two centimeters of water per week or every two weeks. For better results, point the watering can nozzle directly to the soil and not to the lilies.
Soil: Lilium auratum grows without an additional growth factor or fertilizers. If you feel the need to add a little fertilizer, opt for a liquid and preferably weak fertilizer.
Nutrition: to boost nutrition, use an NPK fertilizer that contains a high amount of nitrogen as these plants crave them.
Sunlight: It needs different shades of lightning for growth–bright sunlight on plant structures above the roots and shade on the root.
Summary
Lilium auratum is the perfect ornamental plant that can beautify the home. They require mild attention to grow and are ideal for individuals with little to no time.