How to Propagate Blackberry Lily? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Propagation Methods

Blackberry lily is usually propagated by seeds and rhizomes. Seed propagation has a long production cycle but a high propagation coefficient, while rhizome propagation gives an early harvest and quick results but has a low propagation coefficient and, with long-term planting, can also lead to germplasm degeneration. Therefore, in production it is best to alternate the two methods. Let us take a look at the propagation methods of blackberry lily together below!

Growth Habits of Blackberry Lily

Blackberry lily likes warmth and sunlight, tolerates drought and cold, and is not strict about soil. It can be cultivated on hillsides and dry land. Fertile, loose sandy loam on higher ground with good drainage is best; neutral loam or slightly alkaline soil is suitable, while low-lying land and saline-alkaline land should be avoided.

Rhizome Propagation of Blackberry Lily

1. Rhizome treatment: In late January, dig out the blackberry lily intended for propagation, select rhizomes that are robust, bright yellow, and free of pests and diseases, and cut them into 4 cm-long root segments with 2 to 3 buds and some fibrous roots each (properly trim overly long fibrous roots to make planting and survival easier). After the cut surfaces have healed, soak the seed rhizomes in a 50 ppm ABT No. 4 rooting powder solution for 3 hours before planting. This can promote the sprouting of dormant buds on the rhizomes and earlier emergence. According to experiments, compared with untreated ones, treated seed rhizomes emerge 10 days earlier, and the emergence rate of rhizome buds increases by 30%.

2. Planting method: When planting blackberry lily, on the prepared seedbed, dig holes at a row spacing of 25 to 30 cm and a plant spacing of 20 to 25 cm, 15 cm deep. The bottom of the hole should be level; loosen the subsoil, apply mixed fine soil into the prepared planting holes, then plant 1 to 2 segments of seed roots per hole, immediately cover with 6 to 7 cm of fine soil, press lightly and water thoroughly (preferably with decomposed human and livestock manure urine water), then cover with fine soil level with the seedbed surface, and immediately cover with plastic film. Seedlings can emerge in about 50 days, at which time the film should be broken in time to release the seedlings to prevent high temperatures from burning them.

Seed Propagation of Blackberry Lily

1. Seed collection: Usually from late September to early October, when the blackberry lily fruit shells turn yellow and are about to split, cut them off together with the fruit stalks, place them in a ventilated indoor area to dry, and then thresh them.

2. Sprouting treatment: The harvested seeds must not be exposed to the sun, otherwise the hardness of the seed coat will increase. Blackberry lily seeds have after-ripening characteristics and must complete physiological after-ripening under low-temperature and moist conditions. Seeds sown in spring must undergo low-temperature treatment before they can germinate. Mix seeds harvested in autumn with 3 times their volume of wet sand, dig a pit outdoors and bury them in it; the size and depth of the pit depend on the amount of seed. Keep them moist and do not let them freeze. Dig them out the following spring for sowing. Seeds for autumn sowing must be soaked in 40 to 50°C warm water for 24 hours, then dried in the shade before sowing.

3. Sowing method: Blackberry lily seed propagation can use either direct sowing or seedling transplanting. The sowing time differs depending on open-field and plastic-film mulching conditions.

① Open-field direct sowing: Spring sowing is carried out around Qingming, and autumn sowing in September to October. Furrow sowing is generally used. On the prepared seedbed, open furrows and set holes at a plant and row spacing of 25 cm × 30 cm, with furrows about 5 cm deep. The furrow bottom should be level and loose. Apply farmyard manure in each hole, cover with about 2 cm of fine soil, then sow 5 to 6 pre-sprouted seeds, cover with soil and press firmly after sowing, water appropriately, and cover with grass to retain moisture and warmth. The seeding rate is 2 to 3 kg per mu, and seedlings can emerge about 20 days after sowing.

② Open-field seedling raising: Spring sowing is carried out in March, and autumn sowing in September to October. Before sowing, first water the seedbed thoroughly. After the water has seeped away, open furrows transversely at a row spacing of 20 cm, 6 cm deep and 10 cm wide. Then evenly sow the pre-sprouted seeds into the furrows and cover with 5 cm of fine soil mixed with farmyard manure, or scatter the previously prepared seeds into the seedbed and cover with 5 to 6 cm of fine fertilized soil. After sowing, press lightly, cover with grass to retain moisture and warmth. The seeding rate is 8 to 10 kg per mu.

③ Heated seedling raising: Usually, to extend the growing period of blackberry lily in the sowing year, a small plastic arched shed can be used to increase temperature, allowing early sowing and early emergence. Using a small plastic arched shed for seedling raising can be done in early to mid-January according to conventional operation methods. First sow seeds that have been stored mixed with sand and have split open into the seedbed, cover with a thin layer of soil, then spray warm water once each morning and evening. Seedlings can emerge in about 1 week. After emergence, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and by mid to late March they can be planted out in the field.