How to grow tiger lily seeds? Detailed growing methods

1. Bulbil division method

If you are growing 1 plant or a few plants, you can use this method. Generally, small bulbils grow on the outside of the old bulb. When harvesting the lilies in autumn from September to October, separate these small bulbils and store them indoors in sand over winter to prevent them from being damaged by frost. Then in the spring of the following year, take them out and plant them in pots. Grown this way until September to October of the third year, they develop into large bulbs and become large plants.

2. Bulbil division method

Remove the small bulbils formed in the leaf axils of the above-ground stems and leaves and grow them. From growing into a large bulb to flowering generally takes 3-4 years.

The tiger lily is a flower with a very beautiful meaning, and we can see it in many places. So how should tiger lilies be grown? We have already learned about this above, and also introduced in detail how to grow tiger lily seeds at home and how to grow them so they produce more flowers. If you like tiger lilies, you can confidently grow them at home, and you can also try the methods introduced above to grow them!

How to grow tiger lilies: growing methods for tiger lilies

Tiger lilies grow on hillsides under shrubs, in grasslands, along roadsides or beside water, at an altitude of 400-**** m, and are distributed in China, Japan and Korea. They are cultivated in various places for their ornamental flowers. So how do you grow tiger lilies, and what are the growing methods for tiger lilies? Let's take a look at the related knowledge below.

Introduction to the tiger lily

Tiger lily (scientific name: Lilium lancifolium Thunb.): Some tiger lily petals are flat and spreading, while others curl outward, which is why it has the beautiful name "tiger lily." The bulb is nearly broadly spherical, about 3.5 cm high, 4-8 cm in diameter; the scales are broadly ovate, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.4-2.5 cm wide, white. The stem is 0.8-1.5 m high, with purple stripes and white woolly hairs. The leaves are scattered, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, nearly hairless on both surfaces, with 5-7 veins. Flowers are 3-6 or more; the bracts are leaf-like, ovate-lanceolate; the flowers droop, the tepals are lanceolate, recurved, orange-red, with purple-black spots. The capsule is narrowly long ovate, 3-4 cm long. The flowering period is July-August, and the fruiting period is September-October.

The bulb is rich in starch and can be used as food or as medicine; the flowers contain aromatic oil and can be used as a fragrance. It grows on hillsides under shrubs, in grasslands, along roadsides or beside water, at an altitude of 400-**** m. It is cultivated in various places for its ornamental flowers. It is distributed in China, Japan and Korea.

I. The flower language of the tiger lily

The lily bulb is formed by nearly a hundred scales clasped together, which the ancients regarded as an auspicious sign of "harmony for a hundred years" and "everything to one's liking." Therefore, many couples have traditionally used lilies for the bride's bouquet when holding their wedding. Apart from this good meaning, its dignified and elegant beauty is indeed very charming. The plant stands upright, the leaves resemble emerald bamboo, growing whorled along the stem, the flower colors are vivid, shaped like a trumpet, with an exceptionally graceful posture, and it can give off a faint delicate fragrance, earning it the reputation of "Fairy of Cloud Garments." Therefore, it has long been popular in the international flower market and remains so over time.

II. Morphological characteristics

Stem: The bulb of the tiger lily is nearly broadly spherical, about 3.5 cm high, 4-8 cm in diameter; the scales are broadly ovate, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.4-2.5 cm wide, white. The stem is 0.8-1.5 m high, with purple stripes and white woolly hairs.

Leaves: The leaves are scattered, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 6.5-9 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide, nearly hairless on both surfaces, with white hairs at the tip, papillate protrusions along the margin, 5-7 veins, and bulbils in the upper leaf axils.

Flowers: The tiger lily has 3-6 or more flowers; the bracts are leaf-like, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-2 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, blunt at the tip, with white woolly hairs; the pedicels are 6.5-9 cm long, purple, with white woolly hairs; the flowers droop, the tepals are lanceolate, recurved, orange-red, with purple-black spots; the outer whorl tepals are 6-10 cm long, 1-2 cm wide; the inner whorl tepals are slightly wider, with papillate protrusions on both sides of the nectary and also fringed protrusions; the stamens spread in four directions; the filaments are 5-7 cm long, pale red, hairless, the anthers are oblong, about 2 cm long; the ovary is cylindrical, 1.5-2 cm long, 2-3 mm wide; the style is 4.5-6.5 cm long, the stigma is slightly swollen and 3-lobed. The flowering period of the tiger lily is July-August.

Fruit: The capsule is narrowly long ovate, 3-4 cm long. The fruiting period of the tiger lily is September-October.

III. Ecological habits

Under natural native conditions, the lily is a deciduous plant, mainly dormant in winter during severe cold, short days and lack of liquid water. After a brief summer dormancy, it sprouts in autumn to form a basal rosette of leaves, and after overwintering the stem elongates and flowers. The seeds mature in late summer. Lilies prefer cool and humid environments; places with ample sunlight and slightly shaded environments are more suitable for lilies. They are averse to drought and severe heat, and their cold tolerance is somewhat poor. The growth and flowering temperature for lilies is 16-24degC; growth almost stops below 5degC or above 30degC, plants only grow normally above 10degC, and growth stalls again above 25degC. If the winter nighttime temperature is below 5degC for 5-7 consecutive days, flower bud differentiation and flower bud development will be seriously affected, delaying flowering or even causing blind flowers and split flowers. Lilies prefer fertile, deep soil rich in humus, and most of all dislike hard clay; well-drained, slightly acidic soil is best, with a soil pH of 5.5-6.5.

Cultivation techniques for the tiger lily

1. Soil

Before planting lilies, the soil must be disinfected. The commonly used disinfection methods include steam disinfection and chemical disinfection. Steam disinfection is rarely used because it consumes a lot of energy and is troublesome to operate. Chemical disinfection uses 40% formalin mixed into a 1:50 or 1:100 dilution of the solution and sprinkled on the soil, with an amount of 2.5 kg per sq m; after sprinkling, cover with plastic film for 5-7 days, then uncover and let it dry in the sun for 10-15 days before planting, or use 8-10 g per sq m of carbendazim technical powder sprinkled into the soil for disinfection.

2. Thawing

Thawing and disinfection of the bulbs: After the bulbs arrive, immediately open the packaging and place them in a 10-15degC environment to thaw, and disinfect them after they are completely thawed. Disinfection method: Soak the bulbs in a one-thousandth aqueous solution of captan, chlorothalonil, carbendazim, potassium permanganate, etc. for 30 minutes, or soak the bulbs in an 80-fold dilution of 40% formalin solution for 30 minutes, then take them out and rinse off the residual solution on the bulbs with clean water, and then dry them in a cool place before planting. At some domestic growing bases, before planting, the original basal roots are cut off, which helps promote new basal roots.

3. Storage

If the thawed bulbs cannot all be planted immediately, they must not be frozen again, otherwise there is a risk of frost damage. They can be stored at 0-2degC, but for no more than two weeks; they can also be stored at 2-5degC, for no more than one week, and the plastic film packaging must be opened at the same time.

4. Density

For planting in spring and summer, the planting depth requires the top of the bulb to be 8-10 cm below the soil surface, and in winter 6-8 cm. The planting density varies depending on the variety, bulb size and seasonal factors. In spring and summer, they can be planted more densely; in winter, when sunlight is weaker, they should be planted more sparsely.

5. Temperature

To obtain high-quality lily cut flowers, temperature control in the greenhouse is very important. Within 3-4 weeks after planting, the soil temperature must be kept at a low 9-13degC to promote rooting. Too low a temperature will unnecessarily prolong the growing period, while a temperature above 15degC will lead to poor development of stem roots. These stem roots will soon replace the basal roots in providing 90% of the plant's water and nutrients, so to obtain high-quality lilies, the development of stem roots is crucial. After the rooting period, the environmental temperature for Oriental lilies should be controlled at 15-25degC. If the daytime temperature is too high, ventilation and shading should be used to lower the temperature; if the nighttime temperature reaches 15-25degC, the lily cut flower stems will be short, the buds few, and the quality reduced. At this time, spraying the plants with a gibberellin solution to increase stem length can be used; the specific amount varies with different growth stages and different environmental temperatures, generally less in the early growth stage and more in the later stage. Domestic solar greenhouses generally prolong the growing period of lilies in winter and seriously affect cut flower quality, so means of temperature regulation should be added.

6. Humidity

The soil humidity before planting is best when the soil holds together when squeezed and crumbles when dropped. In hotter seasons, before planting, if conditions permit, water once with cold water to lower the soil temperature. After planting, water once more so that the soil and bulbs are fully in contact, creating good conditions for the development of stem roots. Subsequent watering should be based on keeping the soil moist, that is, a handful of soil holds together when squeezed but does not release water. Watering is generally chosen for the morning of a sunny day. The relative humidity is best at 80%-85%; large fluctuations in relative humidity should be avoided, otherwise leaf scorch may occur.

7. Fertilizer

In the early stage of growth, flowering lily bulbs mainly consume the nutrients stored in their own scales, so too much base fertilizer is not needed before planting. One month after planting, some fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing depending on the soil fertility. Lilies have a very large demand for potassium, and a compound fertilizer can be prepared at a ratio of N-P2O5-K2O=14:7:21. Apply 10 kg per mu each time as a top dressing, once every 10-15 days, until 3 weeks before flower harvest. At the same time, attention should also be paid to supplementing trace elements such as iron, boron and zinc.

8. Light

Light is an important condition for controlling quality, and lily flower bud development especially requires sufficient light. Insufficient light will cause poor plant growth and cause lily bud drop, paler leaf and flower colors, and a shorter vase life. When growing lilies in winter in northern China, due to the influence of insulation materials such as glass or plastic film, about 25-30% of sunlight is blocked, so besides keeping the surface of the glass and plastic film clean to allow good light transmission, some varieties also need supplemental lighting, which can be done with incandescent lamps. In good modern greenhouses, horticultural high-pressure sodium lamps should be used. When producing lilies in summer, strong direct sunlight must also be avoided, generally using shade nets for shading. Asiatic and Easter lilies are shaded 40%, and Oriental lilies 50%.

9. Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is beneficial to the growth and flowering of lilies. On sunny days from 8-10 in the morning, in an unventilated greenhouse, apply carbon dioxide gas pellets to increase the carbon dioxide content in the greenhouse. Other methods can also be used, for example: hang a plastic bucket every 15-20 m (the bucket is 1 m above the ground), fill the bucket with a 20% sodium bicarbonate solution (the common household baking soda is sodium bicarbonate), then gradually pour the prepared 10% dilute sulfuric acid solution into each plastic bucket in 3-4 portions; the sodium bicarbonate reacts with the sulfuric acid to produce carbon dioxide gas. A solar greenhouse 60 m long and 7 m wide requires 1.7 kg of pure sodium bicarbonate and 1 kg of concentrated sulfuric acid (98% concentration).

Propagation methods for the tiger lily

Propagation includes bulb division, scale cutting, seed propagation and tissue culture, among other methods.

1. Seed propagation

The sowing method is sexual reproduction and is mainly used in breeding. The method is: collect seeds in autumn, store them until sowing in the following spring. They germinate about days after sowing. During the seedling stage, appropriate shading is needed. By early autumn, the underground part has already formed small bulbs, which can then be dug out and planted separately. Depending on the species, some seedling plants can flower in 3 years, while others need to be grown for many years before flowering. Therefore, this method is not suitable for home use.

2. Bulb propagation

If you need to propagate a plant or a few plants, this method can be used. Usually some small bulbs grow around the stem plate of the old bulb. When harvesting lilies in September-October, these small bulbs can be separated and stored indoors in sand over winter. Plant them in pots in the spring of the following year. Grown until September-October of the third year, they can develop into large bulbs and be cultivated into large plants. This method has a small propagation quantity and is only suitable for home pot propagation.

3. Cutting propagation

Scale cutting method. This method can be used for medium-scale propagation. Dig out the bulbs in autumn, break off the plump and thick scales from the old bulb one by one; the base of each scale should carry a small part of the stem plate. Dry them slightly in the shade, then insert them into a flower pot or shallow wooden box filled with river sand (or vermiculite), letting 2/3 of the scale be inserted into the medium, and keep the medium at a certain humidity. At about degC, in about one and a half months, roots will grow from the wound of the scale. In winter, the temperature should be kept at about 18degC, and roots will grow from the wound of the scale. In winter, the temperature should be kept so that the river sand is not too wet. Grown until the following spring, small bulbs can grow from the base of the scales; separate them and plant them in pots. Give them careful care.

4. Bulbil propagation

The bulbil division propagation method is only suitable for a few species. Lilies such as the tiger lily and the yellow iron cannon lily mostly use this method. The method is: remove and grow the small bulbils formed in the leaf axils of the above-ground stems (also called "bulbils," when the bulbils have fully grown in summer but have not yet fallen off). From growing into a large bulb to flowering usually takes 2-4 years.

Harvesting cut flowers of the tiger lily

1. Harvesting

Harvest after at least 2-3 flower buds have shown color. Harvesting too early affects the flower color, the flowers will look pale and unappealing, and some buds will not open. Harvesting too late will bring difficulties to post-harvest handling and packaging, the petals will be soiled by pollen, and the already opened flowers will release ethylene, greatly shortening the freshness period of the flowers.

2. Handling

After harvesting, remove the lower 10 cm of leaves, then grade and bundle them. A grade of 10 cm is appropriate. For lilies bundled in one bunch, the longest stem and the shortest stem should preferably not differ by more than 5 cm, and the flower tops should be aligned.

3. Storage

After bundling, lilies should be immediately placed in clean, pre-cooled water, then placed in a cold storage room; the temperature of the water and the cold storage room is best at 2-3degC.

Disease control for the tiger lily

1. Blue mold

Symptoms: During storage, white spots grow on the rotting spots of the scales, and then fluffy green-blue patches grow. After infection, even at a low temperature of -2degC, the rot will gradually increase. The pathogen will eventually invade the basal plate of the bulb, making the bulb worthless or causing the plant to grow slowly. Although infected bulbs look unhealthy, as long as the bulb's basal plate is intact, the plant's growth during planting will not be affected. After planting, the infection will not transfer to the stem, nor will it infect the plant from the soil.

Control methods: Store the bulbs at the recommended minimum temperature; do not plant bulbs whose basal plate has already been damaged; diseased bulbs must be soaked for 30 minutes in a one-thousandth aqueous solution of fungicides such as captan, chlorothalonil or carbendazim before planting, and then planted. After planting, maintain a suitable soil temperature.

2. Rhizoctonia

Symptoms: If the infection is mild, it only harms the leaves in the soil and the green leaves below the young shoots, and sunken light brown spots appear on the leaves. Generally speaking, although the plant's growth is somewhat affected, it can still continue to grow. In severely infected plants, the upper growth is hindered, and the white leaves underground and the leaves at the very base of the above-ground part will rot or wilt and fall off, leaving only brown scars on the stem.

Control methods: Disinfect soil that is suspected of being infected with a soil disinfectant. After disinfection, it must be ensured that the soil is no longer infected; if the previous crop has already shown infection, ordinary soil disinfectants cannot be used, so before planting, pre-treat the soil with a chemical for controlling Rhizoctonia (fully incorporated into the soil to a depth of 10 cm).

3. Phytophthora

Symptoms: Foot rot of the plant (Phytophthora) will hinder growth or cause sudden wilting. Soft rot occurs at the infected part of the stem base, becoming dark green to dark brown, and spreads upward, the leaves turn yellow, and discoloration begins at the stem base. Similar soft rot infections often also occur on the above-ground stem, causing the stem to collapse or bend.

Control methods: Disinfect infected soil with ordinary soil disinfectants; during cultivation, fungicides that control Pythium can also effectively control foot rot; ensure the soil has good drainage conditions; prevent the crop from remaining wet for a long time after watering; keep the soil temperature as low as possible in summer.

4. Pythium

Symptoms: This type of fungus attacks both individual plants and plants within an area. Plants are stunted, the lower leaves turn yellow, the upper leaves become narrower, the leaf color is paler, and they often wilt. Plants affected by root rot have dried and shrunken flower buds. When the plant is pulled up, transparent, light brown rotting spots can be seen on the bulb and root crown, or they have completely softened and rotted.

Control methods: Disinfect infected or suspected infected soil with ordinary soil disinfectants; keep the soil temperature low in the early cultivation stage, and use correct cultivation procedures throughout the cultivation period: cultivation in boxes containing potting soil and peat can keep Pythium under control. After the crop has grown or in cases where Pythium infection may have occurred, fungicides for controlling Pythium that are easy to spray onto the crop can be used, preferably in the evening. Spraying water for a few minutes (about three minutes) before applying the fungicide will significantly enhance the effect of the fungicide, and the crop can also be rinsed clean.

5. Stem rot

Bulb and scale rot and stem diseases caused by Fusarium. Symptoms: Plants with bulb and scale rot grow very slowly, and the leaves are pale green. Underground, brown spots appear at the top of the scales, on the sides, or where the scales connect to the basal plate; these spots gradually begin to rot, and if the basal plate stem is infected, the entire bulb will rot. The stem disease caused by Fusarium is a disease that infects the above-ground part. The identifying sign is that the basal leaves turn yellow before maturity, and the yellowed leaves turn brown and fall off. In the underground part of the stem, orange to dark brown spots appear, then the lesions expand and finally extend into the interior of the stem. The stem then rots, and finally the plant dies before maturity.

Control methods: a. Disinfect infected soil;

b. Plant lightly or moderately infected bulbs as quickly as possible, and the soil temperature should be low.

6. Leaf scorch

Symptoms: First, the young leaves curl slightly inward, and after a few days, yellow to white spots appear on the scorched leaves. If the leaf scorch is mild, the plant can still continue to grow normally, but if the leaf scorch is severe, the white spots can turn brown, and at the site of the damage, the leaves bend. In very severe cases, all the leaves and young shoots will fall off, and the plant will not develop further; this is called the most severe form of scorch.

Control methods: The soil should be kept moist before planting; it is best not to use susceptible varieties; the planting depth should be suitable, with 6-10 cm of soil above the bulb; during periods of increased sensitivity, avoid large differences in temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse, and try to keep the relative humidity at about 75%.

7. Bud drop and shriveling

Symptoms: Bud drop occurs when the flower buds grow to 1-2 cm. The color of the buds turns pale green, and at the same time, the pedicel connected to the stem shortens, and then the buds fall off. In spring, the lower buds are affected first, while in autumn, the higher buds fall off first.

Control methods: Do not grow varieties prone to bud drop in environments with poor light. To prevent bud shriveling, the bulbs must not dry out during cultivation. Ensure the bulbs have a good root system and let them grow under conditions as suitable as possible, with particular attention to light and transpiration.

Tiger lily Lilium lancifolium Thunb. Tiger lily illustrated guide: how to grow tiger lilies / how to propagate tiger lilies