propagating Lily seed

21 years ago

Any tips? I have tried almost everything, I think without success. But I have just potted on some new plants from scales :-)))), no labels this time, of course:-(. But I still hve some seed . Does it need to be fresh or what?

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Comments (6)

Sparaxis
21 years ago
I use a white polystyrene box, fill it with a good quality seed raising mix. A 2cm layer of well rotted cow manure at the bottom is a good idea for the roots to grow down into. Scatter the seeds liberally over the top of the mix, and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite. Water enough to moisten the mixture. Put in a shady place and wait.
I have a box ful germinating at present. They are one of the species liliums - I forget which.
I haven't tried Asiatics, but I am sure a lot of the 'seed' that you collect does not contain an embryo. If you look closely at the seed the really pale stuff is just chaff. The good seeds have a darker, slightly swollen centre.
I have had success with fritillarias, agapanthus, dierama and galtonia using the above method.
Cheers, Jan
annabel__WA
Original Author
21 years ago
It's not my own seed, Jan, but bought seed which is so annoying. I have not tried that although I do have boxes with lots of other bulb seeds. Maybe I need to try getting my own seed this year. I went out and checked the scales and I had 8 or nine ready to pot up on!! So I did into a Cammellis mix. I did not get any bulbils last year either but will check again. The lilies are coming into flower now.
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When the pods turn brown and dry, they split open and seed is dispersed by wind. Lily seeds are shaped sort of like lentils: flat and roundish. If the seed is thin as paper and transparent, it is not viable. If it is thick and has what looks like a tiny root inside, it may be viable. Good seeds are roughly 1/4" across. The only way for an amateur to test viability is to plant the seed and see if it grows. This is tricky, since different types of lilies have different germination requirements. For more information, visit the Yahoo Lilium forum or the North American Lily Society website, or use Google. The NALS articles are ultra-cute and ultra-optimistic, but still have some good information in them. In my opinion, growing lilies from seed is a fairly specialized skill and requires great patience. So I don't know why some people say it's easy. Maybe they are very good growers, so it's easy for them. For hybrids, you are much better off doing vegetative (asexual) propagation, such as scaling, stem bulbils, etc. The resulting plants will be genetically identical to the parent plant. The disadvantage of this method is that viruses in the parent are transmitted to the offspring. This does not happen with seeds.
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jancol04
21 years ago
Hi Sparaxis

Are these lilies fragrant? Why I am asking is that I was visiting a motel and they had a beautiful arrangement of lilies, lisianthus and other flowers, I am not sure what type of lily they were but there was the most beautiful perfume so I am always interested in choosing flowers of this category. Jan
annabel__WA
Original Author
21 years ago
I know the Orientals are very fragrant and have been around for ever, so much so that many people get headaches. I love the perfume, but even so suffer if I have to sit near them for too long-as I did sometimes in church with a bunch behind me. I think the Asiatics are just as fragrant. Christmas lilies seem to thrive here so could be the way to go. A lot of my lily bulbs seem to have just disappeared.
happyjacq_bris
21 years ago
I am not sure which is which but have had both flowering this year. The smaller flower of the 2 types is definately far less fragrant. It usually has about 10 flower buds per stem. My 1st 2 have opened today, the bigger sort have fewer flowers.
jancol04
21 years ago
Hi Annabel & Happyjacq
Thanks for the posts. I have just planted some orientals and will looking forward to seeing them in bloom.
jan

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propagating Lily seed

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Sparaxis

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propagating Lily seed

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Sparaxis

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