Question
QUESTION: I have several large blossom lily like plants that always have brown & yellow spots on lower leaves. What to do?

ANSWER: Hi there. Not sure what plant you have or where it is but this might help.
Lily has become one of the most favored houseplants of our day. And it's no wonder. Perhaps no other commonly grown interior plant offers so much beauty in return for so little. It readily survives in very low light situations, it produces an abundance of glossy, dark green foliage, and it regularly adorns itself with dramatic white blossoms. With the current surge in popularity of these specimens, caring for peace lily plants is a timely topic.

Lilies are members of the Aroid family, which includes such other familiar flowers and plants as Anthurium, Calla, Philodendron, Dieffenbachia, and Chinese Evergreen. Most of the Aroids are indigenous to the warm and shady forest floors of the tropics. Thus, they are well-adapted to the low light levels and comfortable room temperatures found in most homes. And even among shade-loving Aroids, Peace Lilies are most tolerant of reduced light. They'll even flourish under the completely artificial fluorescent lighting commonly found in offices and commercial spaces, although their preference is for bright, filtered, natural light. This makes caring for Lily plants relatively easy.

As far as watering is concerned, Lilies prefer an evenly moist soil. Most people find that they can water their plants once a week, depending of course on light and temperature conditions. At lower light levels or cooler temperatures, any plant will use less water than when it is more actively growing. Use room temperature water. Soil should never be soggy, and plants should never stand in a saucer filled with water. Lilies should also never be allowed to completely dry out, which will result in wilting of the plant, death of the tiny root hairs which conduct water to the plant, and subsequent yellowing or browning of the leaf edges or spots which can indicate  root rot. Lilies do exhibit sensitivity to chlorine in the water, so in metropolitan areas where it may be heavily chlorinated, it's best to allow the water to stand overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate before watering the plants.

Fertilizing is another important factor in caring for Lily plants. The soil in any given container will become depleted of nutrients over time as the plant grows. So it's a good idea to help replenish it by feeding the plant once a month or so, during the growing season, with any standard house plant fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, at one-quarter the recommended dilution rate. The delicate root hairs as well as the edges of a Lily's leaves can burn if the fertilizer is too strong. Repot the plant every year or two in a rich soil consisting of equal parts of loam, peat moss, and sand.

Lilies are rather resistant to most insect pests. An occasional infestation of mealy bugs may show up, and can be easily treated by wiping with rubbing alcohol and spraying with insecticidal soap. Because these plants have broad evergreen leaves, they benefit from having their foliage regularly wiped with a damp sponge to remove dust.
Hope this helps,Bill

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QUESTION: Thanks Bill but this is a large out door plant that gives about a 12" blossom of color from one stem I have seen them in white but the normal color is red. It can stand about 3-4' tall with a span of about the same. The leaves can reach 2-3'. The lower leaves get a yellow and brown spot and looks awful. Does this help?

Answer
Hi. Trees are my forte but it sounds like you have some type of Oriental Lily. Here is some more info on lilies.
This sounds like two possiblities, a leaf spot caused by the Erwinnia bacteria or a viral infection which could transmit itself to the corm (bulb/rhizome) and eventually kill the whole plant.  Dig up the corms and check to see if they are spongy (if they're diseased they will be very soft).  If they are, throw them away.  They are no good and you don't want to spread the disease to the healthy plants.  If they are still firm, cut off all of the foliage and clean off the corms with warm water and allow them to dry (otherwise the water will make them rot).  Dust them with an antifungal horticultural powder (available at most nurseries) and allow the corms to go dormant in a cool, dry, dark section for your basement for a month.  After that, plant them in a new, clean container with sterile potting soil.  Be sure to wash your hands after handling the corms to prevent the possibility of spreading the disease.  If after all of this, the plants continue to have trouble, destroy them.  They are probably not curable.  I hope this helps.