Lily Marlene

The article presents the Marlene lily in detail: characteristics of the variety, planting rules, care, comparison with other multi-flowered varieties.

Lilies are among the most popular, demanded flowers and are loved by gardeners no less than the “queens” of the flower world - roses. Unlike the latter, lilies are not so demanding on growing conditions, and in beauty they are in no way inferior to roses. And breeders who do not get tired of surprising us with various novelties that have greater frost resistance, are less susceptible to infection and other diseases, only contribute to the growth of the popularity of these flowers. Today, there are more than a hundred novelties of varietal and hybrid lilies, each of which has certain advantages. However, we cannot fail to mention one of the most beautiful among them - the Marlene lily, each flower stalk of which gives at least 90 buds that bloom at the same time.
The name is given to the variety after the song of the same name, which was once very popular in Germany.

Sometimes, by mistake, this lily is called "Merlin" or "Madeleine", therefore, when purchasing plants, you need to be careful not to buy something completely different from what you expect. In addition, it is useful to pay attention to the quality of the bulbs, which should not have any mechanical damage or signs of infection, diseases. Their presence can negatively affect the growth and development of the plant, and, as a result, you may not see the expected number of buds and lush flowering of the lily.

Lily Marlene: variety description

Asiatic lily Marlene: photo of the variety

When creating the Marlene lily, varieties of Asian cultivars were used. It was from them that the hybrid "inherited" frost resistance, and even earlier, in comparison with other varieties, the formation of buds, quick adaptation after transplanting or planting and the subsequent active growth of green mass.

By the way, the use of "Asians" by breeders when breeding new varieties is very common in many countries, since they are distinguished by good "immunity" to infections, diseases, ease of care, and also the fact that all these valuable properties are transferred to new varieties in full ...

The only drawback of lilies of this species, which, in part, was transmitted to the Marlene hybrid, is that the full multi-flowering may not appear in the first couple of years, but in the third year you are guaranteed to get more than a dozen buds simultaneously released by peduncles.

The multifloral nature of the Marlene lily is due to the ability to fasciate at the genetic level (translated from Latin - ligament). In fact, this is a stem pathology, as a result of which the growth points merge and several stems simply grow together with the main shoot, which explains so many buds on one stem.

Several factors can be the cause of the fasciation of the Asiatic Marlene lily, including: damage to the plant by infection; exceeding the dose of various stimulants or chemicals; mechanical damage to the bulb caused during transportation, storage, digging; sharp drops in the level of humidity in the air and soil, temperature fluctuations, changes in the illumination regime.

If this property is not incorporated at the genetic level, and if the above factors are excluded, in the future, the multifloral nature caused by fasciation may not be observed.

Lily Marlene, thanks to the huge number of simultaneously blossoming buds released from year to year, can become the main decoration of any flower garden.In addition, in addition to being used in garden design, this hybrid is also in demand by florists as an effective component of bouquets. By the way, a cut flower can stand in water for up to two weeks.

Lily Marlene: characteristics of the flower

Asiatic lily Marlene: photo of a flower

Lily Marlene forms shoots reaching a height of at least 1 meter. Their color is not too bright, closer to light emerald color. The leaves have an elongated shape, characteristic of lilies, with a pointed tip. The length of the leaf plates is 12-13 cm, and their width is no more than one and a half centimeters.

The flowers of the Marlene lily are very large in full bloom, up to 21 cm in diameter. The color of the petals is very beautiful, they are almost white at the core of the lily, and at the end they acquire a delicate pink color. Small dots of dark red color are visible on the inner petals.

The inflorescences, consisting of many buds, form a pyramidal shape.

It should be noted that the Marlene lily is almost odorless and, most gardeners believe that this is a plus of this variety, since lilies, as a rule, have a very rich and, nevertheless, a little obtrusive aroma.

In most regions where a temperate climate prevails, lily buds begin to bloom approximately 2-3 months after the first shoots appear on the surface of the soil.

Lily Marlene: planting bulbs

Lily bulbs Marlene: photo

As noted above, the Marlene lily is a very unpretentious plant that takes root easily, grows quickly, forms flower stalks, and blooms magnificently even with minimal attention to it.
It is not difficult to grow a lily if you follow certain rules and recommendations.
As a rule, the planting of Marlene lilies is carried out in the spring, after the snow cover melts and when the soil warms up to a temperature of + 14 ... + 15 degrees. In most regions, disembarkation time is from late April to mid-May.

Until the specified time, the Marlene lily bulbs should be stored in a dry and always cool place, in order to avoid the appearance of sprouts, which at this stage are completely undesirable, since the growing shoots will draw useful substances from the bulb, weakening it.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to resist buying lilies, especially if, at last, you come across a variety that you have been looking for for a long time. And such a variety is typical for February - March, when it is still quite a long time before the plants are planted in the ground. The planting material offered during this period very often already has green sprouts, since not all, even specialized stores, have ways to ensure the correct storage of the bulbs. And some gardeners deliberately acquire planting material with sprouts, as confirmation that the bulb is viable.

The process of shoot growth can no longer be stopped. Expending the accumulated substances for its development, the bulb itself is depleted and, if such a lily is not planted in the ground, in the summer it is not worth it and hopes for its flowering.

In this case, the sprouted Marlene lily bulbs are treated with a disinfectant solution and planted in containers with moderately fertile and loose soil, where the lily will grow until it is planted in open ground.
Some gardeners plant lilies in the fall. However, there is a fairly high probability that the bulbs will freeze out, since the autumn weather in many areas does not contribute to their rapid rooting.

The Marlene lily area should be well lit and protected from strong winds. Otherwise, the plant will weaken, deplete, and you can not wait for its lush flowering.

For the normal growth and development of the Marlene lily, loose, fertile soil is needed. When planting bulbs in heavy soil, it should be pre-fertilized and loosened by adding well-rotted organic matter, sand or peat. Mandatory, in this case, is the drainage layer, which should be at the bottom of the planting hole.

The Marlene lily bulbs themselves must be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or biological fungicide. Some gardeners use a solution of karbofos, which, among other things, is a prophylaxis against pests that infect the plant.

When preparing the planting hole, they are guided by the size of the bulb. Its depth should be 3 times the height of the bulb itself, and a width of at least 30 cm.

After placing the Marlene lily bulb in the hole, it is carefully covered with loose soil and compacted a little. Further, watering and mulching are carried out. In addition, it is advised to immediately make a support for the plant, in order to avoid breaking the stem, which will have to hold the weight of a powerful peduncle with dozens of buds.

Care rules

Subsequent care for the Marlene lily includes: watering, loosening and weeding, as well as feeding.

Plants are watered as the topsoil dries up. Do not allow the soil to dry out or waterlogging. After watering, the soil is loosened for better penetration of moisture and air to the roots of the plant. On heavy soils, loosening is a must after every watering. Otherwise, the roots will rot from an overabundance and the lily will die.

Fertilizers are applied at least three times over the entire period. After the shoots appear on the surface, a nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied. From the beginning of bud formation and flowering, the lily is fed with complex minerals, as well as organic fertilizers. At the end of the growing season, substances containing phosphorus and potassium are added so that the lily bulb gains strength for the next season.

Plants should be inspected regularly for signs of disease. Lilies can be affected by gray mold, the appearance of which is "prompted" by brown spots spreading along the stem. To combat this disease, spraying with solutions of preparations containing copper is carried out.

Pathogenic fungi that attack the bulbs can cause fusarium. To help the plant, it is sprayed with a biological fungicide, and the soil is watered with the same solution. As a prevention of the appearance of fusarium, such treatments are recommended to be carried out regularly.

Rust appears on the green mass of the plant and causes it to dry out. It is important to remove damaged leaves as soon as possible and treat with fungicides.

Among the insect pests of lilies, one can note aphids, ticks, and the lily beetle. If small areas affected by aphids are identified, the plant can be treated with a solution of wood ash and liquid soap. With significant lesions, you should not hesitate with processing. And to combat them, insecticides are no longer necessary.
In general, the lily of the Marlene variety is an amazing plant, the beauty of which is mesmerizing, and the ease of care and unpretentiousness to growing conditions makes this variety even more popular.

Asian lily Marlene: video about the variety