How to plant lily seeds? Detailed planting methods and steps

The lily is also known as Qiangqu, Fanjiu, Shandan, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae. At least 120 species have been found worldwide, 55 of which are native to China. In recent years, many new varieties have been produced through artificial hybridization. The bulbs are rich in starch and can be eaten as well as used medicinally. Now let us take a look at how to plant lily seeds!

How to plant lily seeds?

Lilies can be propagated both asexually and sexually. Seeds can be sown immediately after collection, or sown again in the spring of the following year. After sowing, they germinate in about 20 to 30 days. During the seedling stage, shade is needed, and water and fertilizer management should be strengthened. By autumn, small bulbs can form and can be dug out and replanted separately. Depending on the species, some seedling plants bloom in 3 years, while others need many years of cultivation before they bloom. Therefore, seed propagation is not suitable for home cultivation.

How is the best way to propagate lilies?

1. Scale propagation: In autumn, select healthy, disease-free, plump scales and soak them in a 1:500 benomyl solution for 30 minutes. Take them out and dry them in the shade, then insert 1/3 to 2/3 of each scale, base downward, into a seedbed with fertile sandy loam. After about 20 days, 1 to 2 small bulbs will form at the cut end at the lower part of the scale.

2. Bulb propagation: Multiple new small bulbs can grow on the stem axis of the old lily bulb. Collect the small bulbs from disease-free plants, disinfect them, and sow them at a row spacing of 25×6 cm. After one year of cultivation, some can reach the standard for planting bulbs (50 grams), while the smaller ones continue to be cultivated for another year before being used for planting.

3. Bulbil propagation: Lily bulbils are harvested after they mature in summer. After harvesting, mix them with moist fine sand and store them in a cool, ventilated place. In September to October of that year, sow the bulbils in a seedbed at a row spacing of 12 to 15 cm and a depth of 3 to 4 cm, cover with 3 cm of fine soil, and cover with grass.

How is the best way to grow lilies?

1. Planting: Potted lilies are best planted in September and October. The growing medium should be a 1:1:1 mix of leaf mold, sandy soil, and garden soil. Apply enough fully decomposed compost at the bottom of the pot, plus a small amount of bone meal and plant ash as a base fertilizer. The planting depth is generally 2 to 3 times the diameter of the bulb.

2. Sunlight: Lilies like light. If they lack sunlight and are shaded for a long time, normal blooming will be affected. In addition, during the growing period, the flowerpot should be turned once a week, otherwise the plant tends to grow lopsided, affecting its appearance.

3. Temperature: The temperature for lily growth and blooming is 16 to 24°C. Below 5°C or above 30°C, growth almost stops. If the nighttime temperature in winter is below 5°C for 5 to 7 consecutive days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be seriously affected, delaying blooming and even causing blind flowers or split flowers.

4. Watering: Lilies fear wetness. Watering only needs to keep the potting soil moist, but during the peak growing season and in dry weather, watering should be appropriately more frequent, and water should often be sprinkled around the flowerpot to increase air humidity. The potting soil should not be too wet, otherwise the bulbs easily rot.

5. Fertilizing: Lilies need relatively large amounts of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, so they should be applied once every 10 to 15 days during the growing period, while phosphorus fertilizer should be limited, because too much phosphorus fertilizer can cause yellowing leaves. During the flowering period, phosphorus fertilizer can be added for 1 to 2 days.

6. Pests and diseases: Common diseases of lilies include mosaic disease, bulb rot, leaf spot disease, leaf blight, etc. When leaf spot disease appears, remove the diseased leaves and spray once with a 500-fold dilution of 65% zineb wettable powder to prevent it from spreading.

7. Repotting: Potted lilies must be repotted once a year, replacing with new growing medium and base fertilizer. To make the bulbs plump, the faded flowers should be cut off promptly after blooming, so as to reduce nutrient consumption and avoid affecting the blooming of other flowers.