Lilies

• True lilies grow from underground bulbs -- large, special roots that add nutrients in layers of tissue each year. Bulbs need full sun and well-drained, fertile soil to produce healthy plants. Periodically, bulbs require lifting and splitting to keep plants blooming. Daylilies thrive in the same sunny conditions and well-drained soils as their more refined true lily cousins. Enemies of true lilies include root lesion, meadow and leaf-lesion nematodes. Move lilies periodically to discourage nematode colonies at their roots. Snails and slugs avoid well-cultivated lily patches. Lack of air circulation encourages botrytis blight. Crown and stump rot results from fungi, including phytophthora, pythium and rhizoc-tonia varieties. Daylilies are rugged plants, threatened by crown rot if not given enough space, root knot nematodes and daylily rust, a fungal disease not widespread beyond the southeastern part of the United States.
  
  

Juniper Bushes

• Juniper bushes, also called upright junipers, thrive in a variety of climates, including seashore and cold alpine climates. They also tolerate more alkaline soils -- those with a pH slightly above 7. Native junipers grow as woodland understory shrubs. In the landscape, they grow in full sun and well-drained soil. Some upright junipers are fast growers that grow as wide as they grow tall. Slower-growing columnar types grow 8 to 20 feet tall at maturity. Juniper roots grow in thick, shallow mats that extend far beyond the drip line. Phomopsis tip blight and Phytophthora root rot pose problems for juniper. Root-knot and lesion nematodes damage junipers.
  
  

Problems

• Interplanting any ornamentals may create competition. Juniper can withstand drought but lilies and daylilies cannot; the herbaceous perennial's roots would fail to find moisture in competition with the more aggressive juniper roots. Lilies, with their bulbs that sit at the level where juniper roots are thickest, would face a serious challenge for water. Junipers planted to the east of lilies or daylilies may shade the most beneficial sun of the day for lilies and daylilies, subjecting them to full sun during the hottest part of the day. Junipers and lilies share sensitivity to root nematodes and phytophthora fungal infections, allowing transmission from one genus to the other.
  
  

Solutions

• Before planting lilies near junipers, check pH to assure slightly acidic soil for successful lily and juniper growth. Avoid shading and competition by planting lilies and daylilies beyond the reach of juniper bush roots. In addition to spacing to avoid roots, provide good air circulation and separate plants to contain nematodes.