How to Care for a Minililly Indoors and Out
Discover how to maintain your potted minililly and successfully transition its bulb to the garden, ensuring it returns to bloom for seasons to come.
The minililly, sometimes called a pixie or dwarf Asiatic lily, is a compact version of the familiar garden lily. These plants are often sold in pots for indoor enjoyment, bringing color to interior spaces. Their manageable size makes them a popular choice for tabletops, offering the beauty of traditional lilies without requiring a large amount of space.
Minililly Care
To maintain your minililly indoors, place it where it can receive bright, indirect sunlight. A location near an east-facing window is suitable, providing morning light that isn’t overly intense. Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves and flowers. These plants thrive in average room temperatures, between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged, as overly wet conditions can lead to bulb rot. A reliable method to check for dryness is to insert your finger into the soil; if the top inch or two feels dry, it is time to water. When you water, apply it directly to the soil surface until it begins to drain from the bottom of the pot.
For their initial flowering cycle, minililies do not require fertilizer. The bulbs are sold with enough stored energy to produce and sustain their first blooms. Concentrating on providing the right light and water conditions is sufficient to support the plant. After this initial bloom, you can consider a feeding schedule if you plan to keep the plant for subsequent years.
Post-Bloom Management
Once the flowers on your minililly begin to fade, you can snip them off where they meet the stem. Removing the spent blooms, a process known as deadheading, prevents the plant from expending energy on developing seeds. This allows the plant to redirect its resources back toward the bulb for future growth.
After deadheading, continue to care for the plant as you were when it was in bloom. The leaves and stem will slowly turn yellow and wither. This is a natural process where the foliage is transferring its remaining energy reserves down into the bulb for storage.
Allow the stem and leaves to die back completely before taking any further action. Do not cut the foliage down while it is still green, as this will deprive the bulb of the nutrients it needs for its dormant period. The plant is preparing itself for the next growing season, and this period of decline is a normal part of its life cycle.
Planting Minililies Outdoors
After the foliage has completely died back, the dormant minililly bulb is ready for a new home in the garden. Fall is a suitable time to transplant the bulb, giving it time to establish roots before the ground freezes.
To plant the bulb, select a location in your garden that receives full sun to partial shade and has well-drained soil. Dig a hole that is 15cm deep. Place the bulb in the hole with the pointed end facing up, cover it with soil, and water it well to help it settle in. The following spring, you should see new growth emerge.