- 1). Choose a location for your stargazer. The location should receive six hours of direct sunlight. In regions where the summers are very hot, your lily will prefer an area where it gets morning sun, but is shaded in the afternoon heat. Stargazers will tolerate partial shade, but the blooms will suffer without adequate sunshine.
- 2). Prepare the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Remove any rocks or debris. Be sure there is adequate drainage to prevent the bulbs from sitting in soggy soil.
- 3). Amend the soil with generous amounts of well rotted manure or compost. This will provide nutrients and increase water retention while still allowing the soil to drain properly.
- 4). Plant stargazers in the early spring. Dig a 6 to 8 inch deep hole and mix one teaspoon of bone meal into the existing soil. Plant the bulbs to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with the pointed end up. Cover with loose soil and pack firmly with your hands. For a natural effect, group multiple plants by odd numbers. Three or five in a group makes a nice display. Avoid planting in straight rows or in pairs for the best results.
- 5). Water thoroughly and keep evenly moist until the first leaves emerge. Water whenever the soil dries for the remainder of the growing season.
- 6). Fertilize in the spring when you first see new growth and again just before blooming. Use a high phosphorus fertilizer for the application just prior to blooming to promote large brightly colored blooms.
- 7). Remove old blooms once they have lost their color or begin to loose petals. Do not cut back the plant after blooming. Allow the foliage to continue to grow. The plant will now direct its energy towards bulb formation.
- 8). Cut plants back to the soil level once the leaves have turned brown. Mulch with a 3 to 4 inch layer of old leaves, hay or straw to protect bulbs during the winter.
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