Growing Lilies from Seed
You probably think that lilies, because
they are so big and beautiful, will take years and years to grow from
seed… but they don’t. Many will bloom in only eighteen months…if the
proper procedure is used.
Epigeal or “quick-type” seed
It is best for beginners to start with the
epigeal or “quick type” seeds, such as asiatics and trumpets. They can
be planted directly in prepared ground or in a coldframe, but much
quicker results are possible with windowsill culture.
Many kinds of containers can be used…from
four to six inches deep is best. If you have planted seeds indoors
before, you will have your own pet planting medium. A light fluffy
soil…potting mix sold in stores…vermiculite…all are good. Some gardeners
use soil to almost fill the container, then add a thin layer of milled
sphagnum for the seeds to ie on, and cover with more of the same
material. Lily seeds are quite large and should be spaced about one-half
to one inch apart. Shake the seed wih a pinch of Captan and spread
out with the tip of a label.
Water thoroughly, and place in a warm
place, making sure to keep the soil barely moist. If good fresh seed is
used the seedlings should start to appear in about fourteen days…maybe
sooner. Place the container in good light…fluorescent lights work well
id your windowsills are crowded. Water and light are all the seedlings
need for a while. When most of the seed has sprouted, you may start
feeding…about every two weeks with dilute fertilizer…organic fish oil is
good.
The first grass like leaves are called
cotyledons. The true leaves which are broader, will appear in about four
more weeks…and in fairly rapid succession from then on.
Transplant the seedlings outdoors as
weather permits. Plant them into a nursery bed, spacing the seedlings
individually about six inches apart. Watered with a “starter solution”
and shaded for a few days, the little babies will grow merrily on as if
nothing had happened.
The
tender-loving-care you give your seedlings while they sojourn in the
nursery wil play a big part in the number of blooms they will reward you
with in their second summer. Let nothing check their growth! Water
regularly and feed…at least once a month until late summer with a
liquid fertilizer. Keep down the weeds, preferably with a mulch.When frost has blackened the leaves in the fall, about two inches of good soil may be added to the seedling bed and, as soon as the ground is frozen, a thick mulch of pine needles, straw, etc spread over all.
When spring arrives, watch the beds
carefully and when the spring sun begins to warm the ground, and the
shoots start to appear, carefully remove the mulch…but keep it piled
nearby to cover the lilies if frost threatens. A fertilizer rich in
nitrogen may be scratched in at this time…and again at about the time
buds first show.
First Blooming!
This is what you have been waiting for,
isn’t it! About June the promising fat buds will begin to
appear…sometimes one…often times as many as three or four. I don’t have
to tell you to watch now…you’ll be down in the seedling patch many times
a day! They are beautiful, these first blooming lilies with their huge
blooms on short slender stems! Next year they will be taller and have
many more blossoms. Aren’t you glad we persuaded you to grow some from
seed? How long did it take?…only eighteen months…my…doesn’t seem
possible, does it!
Hypogeal or “slow type” seed
Not all lilies grow as rapidly as asiatics,
trumpets and other “quick type” lilies. It is not that the hypogeal or
“slow type” seeds are much more difficult…but you do need some patience.
We’ll give you directions for hurrying them along as much as possible.
The “slow type” lilies include the wonderful orientals and martagons.
These seeds have a two stage germination
process. First is the warm period: disinfect the seed with Captan, mix
with a generous handful of damp peat moss, milled sphagnum or
vermiculite, enclose in a polyethylene bag and fasten with a label.
Store this in a warm place for approximately three months. By peeking
occasionally you can see little bulblets forming after the second month
or so.
When
most bulblets have swelled and made little roots, store the bag, still
securely fastened, in the refrigerator for two to three months. After
this cold period, the little bulblets may be tenderly planted and cared
for as you do the “quick-type” seeds. The first true leaf will show in a
week or two…take good care of it! It may be the only one produced for a
whole year. These seedlings are best pampered in a shaded cold frame
for a year or two. Yes…it will be three of four years before you reap
your reward on these! But the “slow-type”lilies are some of our most
breathtakingly beautiful and desirable lilies, and they are worth the
wait!
