Okay, so I’ve always wanted to have one of those gorgeous Oriental lily plants inside my house. You know, the ones with the big, showy flowers and that amazing smell? Well, I finally got one, and let me tell you, figuring out how to keep it happy indoors was a bit of a journey!
First off, I picked out a healthy-looking plant from the local nursery. It had these strong, green stems and a bunch of buds that looked like they were just about ready to burst open. I also made sure to get a pot that was a good size for it, not too big, but with enough room for the roots to grow.
When I got the lily home, the real work began. I knew these plants love sunlight, so I placed it near a bright window. The thing is, my apartment doesn’t get a ton of direct sun, so I had to rotate the pot every few days to make sure all sides of the plant got some light. Otherwise, it would start leaning towards the window like crazy.
Then there was the whole watering situation. I read somewhere that you gotta keep the soil moist but not soggy. So, I started by watering it deeply whenever the top inch of the soil felt dry to the touch. I made sure the pot had good drainage holes because these plants hate sitting in water.
Keep the Humidity High
- I set up a little humidity tray by placing the pot on top of a tray filled with pebbles and water.
- I made sure that the bottom of the pot wasn’t touching the water.
- I also misted the leaves every now and then, especially when the air in my apartment got dry.
Oh, and feeding! I found out that Oriental lilies are kinda heavy feeders during their growing season. So, I started giving it some liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. I just followed the instructions on the fertilizer bottle to make sure I wasn’t overdoing it.
One thing that really surprised me was how much the flowers drooped after they bloomed. I thought I was doing something wrong! But then I learned that this is totally normal. I just snipped off the dead flowers to keep the plant looking tidy and to encourage it to put energy into growing new buds.
After all of this experiment, the lily plant actually thrived indoors! It rewarded me with the most beautiful, fragrant blooms. It definitely took some effort, but seeing those flowers open up and smelling that sweet scent throughout my apartment made it all worth it. I felt like a proud plant parent!
