Topic: Propagating Lillies from scales - help required

[Garden Manager]

Last autumn, inspired by a feature on Gardeners World, I had a go at propagating my lilies from bulb scales. These were placed in a bag of sharp sand (didnt have the recomended vermiculite at the time), tie them up with air inside and put them in the airing cupboard.

They are now well grown with little bulblets and roots, but now i need to know what to do about them/with them. I am reluctant to move them from the airing cupboard since with this cold weather and general damp in winter I fear loosing them to rot if i move them too soon. However they cannot obviously stay in the airing cupboard indefinetly, and i guess now need light to grow on. What shoud I do?

Thanks

[Robert_Brenchley]

Put them into pots for the time being, and harden them off. I've done this very successfully, but not in such cold as this. I bought the bulbs in autumn, took scales and left them behind the hot water tank for 6-8 weeks, I forget exactly how long, then put them into a cold frame, in pots. They were fine, except I ended up losing them all due, I think, to damp soil over winter. I'm now very hesitant about planting lilies out on my plot as a result of that experience.

[windygale]

Hi, and dont forget to place them back into a gritty/moist compost, as all lillies young or old love to have their roots on sand/grit or in well drained soils,
hope this helps
windy

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies.

Do you think I am best off acclimatising them gradualy once I take them out of the airing cupboard? I am thinking (based on your advice) to perhaps pot them up in 50:50 JI/grit mix and put them in a heated propagator so that I can gradualy 'wean' them of the heat and get them accustomised to light that way.?

Another thing, how deep in the pots should they be planted?

Thanks

[rosebud]

Hi Richard, do not put them straight outside, if you have a spare window ledge i would keep them on there and on a sunny day put them out and bring them in, do that 2 or 3 times and then put them in a cold frame but be very sparing with the water because otherwise they will stay cold and they do not like that.
 
    Cheers Rosebud. ;D

[windygale]

hi, you'll find it will take about 4-5yr sometimes longer before young scale bulbs flower, plant 3 new bulblets scales into a sandy compost 2"deep, in a 4" pot for around two years, them re-pot every two years, feed them with some general fertilizer and hopefully you'll get some like these,

hope you have fun growing them and seeing them turnout like mine have,

windy

[Garden Manager]

I have now potted (some!) of my scales up. I went for a 50:50 JI1/Grit mixture in 3" pots, planted at roughly half the depth of the pot. I currently have them on the bench in my cool greenhouse.

They had loads of root on them and were getting quite big. Some still had quite firm scales still atached. On the ones i potted up i left most of these on (it made it easier to handle them). I am not sure if i have done the right thing or not, but it seemed to me as if the scale was still feeding the new bulb. Others were removed thoughas they appeared withered and would only rot the bulblet if left on.

Have i done alright or do i need to do different with the remaining scales/bulblets?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think you can leave them.

[Garden Manager]

I think you can leave them.

Thanks Robert, All I needed to know. :)

[windygale]

hi garden cadet, if you have root on the scales things are going fine, i wouldn't bother to remove the old withered scales unless you can see mould etc, main thing when growing Lillie's, Don't over water them, give them plenty of sunshine, and a well drained soil,
hope this helps
windy