• Lilies are striking, easy-care flowers on plants that are heavy feeders.Richard Goerg/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  From about 80 original species of lilies, hundreds of striking cultivars have been developed. Flowers range from pure white, yellow and orange to pink, maroon, red and bi-color combinations, on plants anywhere from 2 to 8 feet tall. Lilies are beautiful, easy-care plants that produce excellent cut flowers. Some varieties, such as Oriental lilies, are also fragrant. In addition to great beauty, lilies also share the need for regular fertilization, because plants are heavy feeders.
  
  

Compost

• Fertile, moist well-drained soil is fundamental for healthy, well-fed lilies. Time spent improving and preparing the soil helps your lilies benefit from all available nutrients. Dig beds initially when soil is dry, to avoid compacting. Spade the soil down to 12 inches deep and turn it over. Add several inches of compost or shredded dry leaves, then mix it with the original soil.
  
  

Initial Fertilizer

• Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends adding low-nitrogen 5-10-10 fertilizer to the entire planting bed, at the rate of 1 pound for every 50 square feet, or a planting area measuring 5 by 10 feet. Thoroughly dig the fertilizer in and mix it with the improved soil. Dig planting holes from 6 to 10 inches apart, the ideal distance depending on the lily type. Set upright bulbs in the holes at the correct depth for that variety, then cover them with soil.
  
  Alternatively, use a handful of 5-10-10 fertilizer for a cluster of bulbs planted in individual holes. Spade the immediate area to loosen the soil well below the depth at which bulbs will be planted. Add the fertilizer and cover it with a layer of soil so bulbs don't come into direct contact with fertilizer, which can burn them. Set well-spaced bulbs upright in the planting hole and cover them with amended soil.
  
  

Later Fertilizer

• Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends fertilizing lilies again right after plants bloom. For an established lily bed, Clemson University Extension recommends fertilizing lilies every month, starting when their stems start to emerge from the ground. In addition to 5-10-10 fertilizer, add a handful of bone meal for each bulb, as an extra source of phosphorus.
  
  If using dry fertilizer, scratch it lightly into the surface soil around each bulb, taking care not to damage plants. Also keep fertilizer off plant leaves and away from roots, because contact will burn them. Use soluble fertilizer if you'd prefer, mixing fertilizer in water and applying it to moist soil with a watering can.