Detailed Explanation of New Lily Propagation Techniques and Methods

Lilies not only have dignified, vivid flowers, but their fleshy tender stems are also rich in nutrients and have special medicinal and health-care effects, making them a best-selling health food on the market. Several bulb propagation methods for lilies are as follows:

I. Seed propagation

Sowing mature lily seeds can quickly produce large numbers of lily bulblets for bulb production and cut flower cultivation. Lily species suitable for seed propagation include: Lilium brownii, Lilium longiflorum, diploid Lilium lancifolium, Lilium concolor, Lilium regale, Lilium formosanum, Lilium davidii, Lilium dauricum, Lilium tsingtauense, Lilium henryi, Lilium speciosum, and others. Lily seed germination has two types: epigeal cotyledons and hypogeal cotyledons. In the former, 15-30 days after sowing the cotyledon tips emerge above the soil surface, as in Lilium regale, Lilium davidii, Lilium longiflorum, and others; in the latter, the seeds form overwintering small bulbs in the soil, and only in the following spring does the first true leaf of the aboveground part grow from the small bulb, as in Lilium dauricum, Lilium tsingtauense, Lilium speciosum, and others. The sowing soil can be prepared with 2 parts fertile soil, 2 parts coarse sand, and 1 part peat, with a small amount of phosphate fertilizer added; for epigeal-cotyledon lilies, sowing in March-April is best, with a soil covering depth of 1-2 cm, and some varieties can flower after 6 months, while Lilium regale, Lilium henryi, and others do not flower until the following year; for hypogeal-cotyledon germination types such as Lilium speciosum, autumn sowing is best, and by November the radicle can emerge, in February-March of the following year the first true leaf can emerge, and only after 3-4 years can they flower. Transplanting lily seedlings should be done when the cotyledons have just emerged above the soil surface until the cotyledons are straight. Seed seedling raising is the best method for propagating lilies, as it can produce robust disease-free plants and obtain new hybrid types. Any species from which normal seeds can be obtained can use the sowing method to produce bulblets.

II. Stem bulbil propagation

For lily species that do not easily produce seeds, stem bulblets can be used for propagation. That is, using the bulbs that grow at the base of the aboveground stem and at the stem nodes buried in the soil for propagation. First bury the mother bulb appropriately deep, and when flower buds appear at the top of the aboveground stem, remove the buds early to promote an increase in the number and size of bulblets; alternatively, after the plant flowers, cut the aboveground stem into short sections, lay them flat and bury them in moist sand with the leaves exposed, and after about a month bulblets can also grow at the leaf axils. Generally, bulblets are harvested and planted in October, with a row spacing of 25 cm and a plant spacing of 6-7 cm, covered with 4-5 cm of burnt soil, and covered with grass to retain moisture; the following year they can grow into commercial seed bulbs weighing about 40-50 grams, and usually the bulblets produced in 1 hectare of land can supply 2-3 hectares of field planting.

III. Bulbil propagation

For lily species that can produce bulbils at the leaf axils, such as Lilium lancifolium and other hybrid lilies, bulbil propagation can be used. The size of the bulbils is related to the variety and the nutritional status of the mother plant; large bulbils are only 0.2-0.3 cm in diameter. When the bulbils have grown mature on the stem, appear slightly purple, and fall off at a touch of the hand, harvest the bulbils and sow them in sandy soil, covering with soil just enough to submerge the bulbils, set up a shed for shade, keep moist, only spray water rather than pour water, and they will root in 1-2 weeks, emerge in 20-30 days, and one week after emergence they can be transplanted to the seedbed; pay attention to shading in daily care, keep the seedbed soil from freezing in winter, and the following year they can grow into commercial seed bulbs capable of flowering. For varieties that cannot form bulbils, cut stem sections with single or double nodes, insert them with leaves for cuttings, and this can also induce bulbils to grow at the leaf axils.

IV. Leaf cutting propagation

Some lily species, such as Lilium longiflorum, can also use stem leaves for cuttings to obtain small bulbs. The method is: peel the leaves from the stem, insert them into a moderately moist substrate, keep at about 20°C, provide 16-17 hours of light daily, and after about 3-4 weeks callus tissue forms at the base and small bulbs form; after a month and a half, the small bulbs grow new roots and become new plants.

V. Scale cutting propagation

For lily species that are neither easy to obtain seeds from nor easy to produce bulbils or bulblets, scale cuttings from the mother bulb can be used for propagation. In addition, although propagation by small bulbs can multiply quickly, it is prone to degeneration, and bulb yield will gradually decline; generally every 4-6 years renewal, purification, and rejuvenation are needed, and scale cuttings are most suitable. The method is: in autumn select large bulbs free of pests and diseases and remove the scales, insert them with the wound surface facing down into a sandy soil seedbed, but care must be taken not to let them directly contact fertilizer to prevent rot. The row spacing is 15 cm and the plant spacing is 3-4 cm; pay attention to moisture retention and cold protection. In February-March of the following spring, the scales can form callus tissue and differentiate small bulbs. The number of seedlings raised by scale cutting propagation in 1 hectare is equivalent to the propagation number of stem bulblets in 3 hectares.

VI. Bulb cutting propagation

For wild Lilium brownii, or other large-sized varieties, when there are few bulbs and you want to propagate while also being able to flower and enjoy them as early as possible, the bulb cutting method can be used for propagation. That is, in autumn dig up large bulbs, cut them into 4-5 pieces, then cultivate them in clean sandy soil; the following year more small seedlings can form, and they can then be divided and cultivated.