I Planted Three Beautiful Asiatic Lillies Recently. The Rabbits Have…
Denise Asked
i planted three beautiful Asiatic lillies recently. The rabbits have eaten all the green foliage and the flowers have died off. What should I do next? Will they bloom again?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Denise in Indiana: Rabbits in the garden can be a real nuisance. Unfortunately, they can do serious damage to our plant material in just a few nibbles. It is still early in the growing season so hopefully your Asiatic lilies will put on new growth. This is necessary for your plants to collect nutrients for next season’s blooms. They will not flower again this year. As long as the rabbits did not dig up the actual bulb, they should put on new growth. It will be important to protect them from the rabbits as they attempt to do so. There are many products on the market made specifically for deterring these critters. You can visit your local garden center to see what they carry. Both the granular and liquid products will need to be reapplied after a certain time frame depending on the product, as well as after a hard rain. Chicken wire might also be helpful in protecting your lilies. There are certain plants that rabbits like better than others and lilies do seem to be one of their favorites. If this battle becomes too frustrating, you might consider replacing your lilies with another plant that is not so tempting to the rabbits.
