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pudge2b

Martagon lilies from seed germinated, now what?

Pudge 2b
17 years ago

I know some of you have been successful with lilies from seed, so I'd like to hear your experience please.

I did the warm/cold/warm with Martagon lily seeds and now have plenty of little green leaves in the container. Now what? Can I plant them out now and mulch some for the winter? Or should I let frost get them in the container and then plant like a fall lily bulb? I'm assuming I just plant as deep as they are in the container now?

I also have Lilium canadense from seed but only 3 germinated - I was planning to just bury the container for winter and hope for more germination next spring. Good plan, or not?

Comments (18)

  • leftwood
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most lily growers leave seedlings in the pot for two years of leaf growth. When I discovered how much better they grow in larger 5-6 inch pots, and the deeper the better, I will never plant lily seed in little 4 inch pots again. Remember also about the contractile root(s) lilies have. These are what naturally pulls the bulbs deeper in the soil to the "correct" depth. Little seedlings have them too, and I have had more than one pot where I have found the bulbs at the bottom of the container, when I had almost surface planted the seed.

    So I would say no, don't replant them at the same depth as in the pot. Plant them another inch(2-3cm) deeper. They will take if from there, but will at least get a head start.

    Do let them go completely dormant before transplanting. And even for little seedlings, fall is still better than spring.

    Since I also recommend growing seedlings in the pot for two seasons, I would say yes, leave your canadense alone for another year.

    Rick

  • Pudge 2b
    Original Author
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Rick. I'll let them go dormant then plant a little deeper.

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  • Crazy_Gardener
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How do you store your pots over the first winter or two for Martagons?

    I ordered L. martagon colour mix from the Gardens North sale and I'm wondering if I should sow them asap when I get them in or wait till next January to sow them?

    Will I have enough time for a warm/cold/warm cycle if I sow them as soon as I get them in?

    Sharon

  • plantcompost
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Re martagons:

    I'd keep them in the pot for a couple years at least.

    However, if you want more martagons then I'd suggest helping them get established around the mother plant. Just pick off the dry pods and scuff the seeds into the ground a few feet max from the mother and then mulch. Martagons seeds establish easily if given the chance.

    You can also gently dig down around the mother plant in mid fall and remove smaller offset bulbs and pot them up...this will give you a couple year jump on growing from seeds. All our martagons have been established this way from the plants of fellow gardeners.

  • Crazy_Gardener
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks PC,

    How did you and where did you store your (seedlings) pots over the winter?

    Fridge, coldroom, unheated greenhouse, coldframe, trenched in the ground?

    Sharon

  • leftwood
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My lily pots are stored during winter with my other potted materials outside in large 1.3m x 1.6m x .5m wood box frames covered with hardware cloth to keep varmints out. The pots freeze solid long before I actually put them to bed for the winter, as I need to wait for the ground to freeze sufficiently too. These last winters it has been mid December here in zone 4a before I cover them with a blankets/old sleeping bag, and then cover with white plastic. Prior to that, the box is loosely covered with the white plastic. Do not water anything before or during this process! With the tarp over them, humidity can build in the spring before you remove it, and susceptible plants could mold.

    Alternatively, you could sink them in the ground and mulch them, but I have so many pots (usually around 500) it is impractical.

  • Crazy_Gardener
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Rick!

    If any of you belong to the Yahoo Lilium Group I posted the same question, here is the instructions Darm Cook posted. I think I will go what he says since he lives in zone 1.


    > I was reading in the 2005 Prairie Garden that you
    > should grow your 6"
    > potted seedlings for two seasons before
    > transplanting outdoors.
    > > How do you all store them overwinter so that they
    > don't freeze?

    I`m in zone 1 at Hay River, NWT. here is the method I
    use for martagon and other delayed hypogeal
    germinating lilies.

    In mid Oct. I place a hand full of moist planting
    medium into a snack sized Zip-lock baggie, and place
    that baggie under lights at room temperature for 5
    days or until the seeds swell up which ever comes
    first. Generally I oly place 25 to 30 seeds per
    baggie. The baggies planting medium should be moist
    enough for condensation to form [not water droplets]
    in the baggie while it`s under lights. After 5 days
    lower the moisture content in the baggie. This can be
    done by placing a couple Kleenexes in the baggie and
    remove them after about an hour; they act like a
    sponge.

    Also at or right after five days move your baggies to
    some where dark and around 18C. In this stage your
    baggies should no longer be forming condensation, if
    they do continue to use the Kleenex treatment until
    they no longer form condensation. Your seeds should
    germinate with this process between 15 to 21 days from
    the time of planting. Hold your baggies at these
    temperatures, in the dark for four months then move to
    a spot where the temperatures can be held at +2 to
    +4C. for at least 3 months.

    15 days before our last expected frost [June 12th] I
    plant the bulblets straight out. Placing them about
    3/4`s of an inch deep. They will start pushing up
    their leafs about 3 weeks from the time of planting,
    that`s right behind our last expected frost. Using
    this process there is no need to pot the bulblets up
    or worry about how to give them a second cold period.
    With martagons I have a 95% or better first winter out
    survival rate, as the first winter planted out is
    their second cold period and is under our zone 1 snow
    bank I suspect they should do as well or better in
    your zone 2. Mind you we can rely on receiving good
    snow cover each winter. If you can`t rely on good snow
    cover for their "first" out door winter you should
    mulch them. A sheet of 3 inch thick Styrofoam placed
    just after your soil has a crust of frost in it, and
    held there with 3 or 4 heavy stones would be excellent
    mulch. Of course other mulches can work just as good
    providing they don`t blow away should you fail to get
    snow cover.

    The above is just my long way of saying you don`t
    have to grow your martagon seedlings for two years
    potted up there by having to worry about giving them
    their second cold period in pots. Plus they will do
    better planted out then they would in pots. For me
    anyway as I can`t grow anything in pots without
    killing it.

    Darm

  • Pudge 2b
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I planted my germinated seedlings (with leaf) straight out into the garden last fall - I'll let you know this spring if they survived. It'll be good to know, as I have more lily seeds getting their warm treatment now (which reminds me, might be time for the cold treatment).

  • Crazy_Gardener
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Pudge, yes, do keep us updated.

  • Pudge 2b
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The germinated Martagons from seed planted into the garden last fall are all up and growing - looks like no losses. I germinated Lilium regale this spring (easy, warm germinator) and will be planting them out soon - maybe even today if I can get to it.

  • Crazy_Gardener
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just checked on my Martagon seeds today that I sowed Oct 1st and if all things go well, I'm going to have Martagons coming out of my ying-yang in about 6-7 years. LOL

    Right now they are having their warm period stage in ziplock baggies in which I see already little bulblets forming.

    Hypogeal or "slow type" seed
    Lilium dalhansoni OP
    Lilium martagon
    Lilium martagon mix
    Lilium martagon var. album
    Lilium martagon x columbianum
    Lilium tsingtauense
    Lilium tsingtauense OP

    Sharon

  • 11otis
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello Crazy gardener,
    this is an old thread but I hope you will still get my question. Where did you get you lilium species seeds from?
    I start growing lilium species from seeds recently because we (Canadians)couldn't order bulbs from outside Canada and the choice of mail order species bulbs are limited here.
    How are your Martagons doing?
    6-7 yrs is a long time. You are at least a year ahead of me.
    Otis.

  • Crazy_Gardener
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Otis, nice to meet you and welcome to the FN forum.

    The Marts are doing good. Yeah, its a long time but you sure do save $ sowing by seed but most of all the anticipation of what they'll look like. Mart bulbs can be very expensive but I do seem to buy a few each year.

    I got my seed from various sources, Gardens North, North American Lily Society seed sale and a wonderful lily grower named Darm that gardens in the NWT.

    To buy various Martagon and species bulbs, try Parkland Perennals, Plantlilies.com, Hillcrest Harmony Flowers, The Lily Nook and S-W Gardens, Fraser's Thimble Farm here in Canada.

    Sharon

  • newine_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Try Estate Perennials as well. They took over the collections of Dan Dale and Fox Lily Ranch.They also carry the book on martagons by Eugene Fox and some seeds.My Christmas present to myself was the book and 2 pkgs of martagon seeds......of course, later on I will have to buy more martagons!!!!I have 8 varieties now and am looking to expand the flower beds. Audrey

  • Crazy_Gardener
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Audrey, I noticed EP are from Alberta, I've bookmarked their website and will see what they have once they update their site.

    Sharon

  • nutsaboutflowers
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pudge, that is so cool !

    Yes, I'd say that makes you a very nurturing Grandmother, LOL!

  • beegood_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My Martagons are full of seed heads. If I just left them to seed out would they grow. I really don't want to be bothered with pots etc.Since they are quite hardy I'm hoping this mite work.

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