LILIES - RHS Lily Group

Table 2: Perth Long-term Averages
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Mean Max (ºC) 30.6 31.2 29.3 25.9 22.4 19.2 18.3 18.6 20.0 22.7 26.2 28.7 24.4
Mean Min (ºC) 17.7 17.9 16.5 13.8 10.9 8.8 7.8 8.0 9.4 11.0 14.0 16.2 12.7
Mean Rain (mm) 18.1 5.7 23.5 28.1 98.5 148.4 154.6 135.9 89.6 45.6 21.0 5.2 779.3
Mean Rain (days) 2.0 2.1 4.8 6.5 12.4 16.7 17.7 16.2 14.9 9.6 5.9 3.8 113.6
Based on data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
how to do things through the school of ‘hard knocks’. Growing lilies in South
Western Australia has provided us with a number of specific challenges, very
different to any other place in the world. To start with, the land is very sandy
with a low nature soil PH of 4.5. Being sand it is quick to leach and growing
conditions can be difficult with strong cold winds from the Antarctic during the
August and September period. On the other hand, our summers are much milder
than those experienced in Perth, often described as Mediterranean (see tables
1 & 2) and we live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia, the
value of which can never be underestimated.
The previous owners, although putting in some sound infrastructure, grew mainly
during the natural season and even then, not in huge numbers. Even now we
cannot be viewed as a big grower, cropping just over 300,000 lilies a year. To
meet year round challenge we are reworking our 4000 m 2 of plastic tunnels into
a hot house. The wonder of growing here is that by removing the wind chill
and retaining warmth during the day, there is no need to have any other heating
system other than that provided to us by Mother Nature.
To resolve the low soil pH (a good level should be around 6), we have used
lime and regularly add peat and well-composted materials. This has helped
increase the pH around 5.8 and our asiatic and LA hybrids do very well. Our
orientals are not quite as tolerant of even small drops in pH and we now plant
these in plastic crates with potting mix (although this is expensive and reduces
our profit margin by around 10% per bunch).
As we refuse to use chemicals to fumigate the soil (this is still allowed in
Australia), we grow field peas in rows that lie fallow. This helps clean the soil,
give it a nitrogen boost and gives the soil bulk when rotary hoed into the row.
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