Lily Harvesting and Seed Saving Methods and Technical Key Points

1. Timely harvesting

(1) For vegetable edible lilies, early harvesting can be done from the Summer Solstice to before Minor Heat, when the lower 1/3 of the lily leaves turn yellow, the bulbs are near their maximum size, and the sugar content of the scales reaches its peak. To fetch a high price, "green-stalk lilies" can be harvested early from late June to early July for use as a vegetable. Edible lily bulbs, because of their high water content and high monosaccharide content, are not suitable for seed saving or storage; when used to process dried lilies, the finished product rate is not high.

(2) For medicinal and processing lilies, yellow harvesting is suitable around Major Heat, when 2/3 of the lily leaves turn yellow, the nutrients in the plant are transported to the lower bulbs, and the starch content of the lily bulbs reaches its maximum, the yield rate of dried slices and the flour extraction rate reach their highest values.

(3) For seed-saving lilies, harvesting is suitable around the Start of Autumn when the plants are withered and yellow. When the lily leaves have completely withered and yellowed and the plants have entered dormancy, and the weight has dropped by about 10% from the maximum, they can be harvested for seed use. Lilies must be "harvested dry on a sunny day." On sunny days, digging is convenient, less mud sticks, damage is smaller, disease infection is unlikely, and storage is easier.

2. Harvesting method When harvesting lilies, try to avoid injuring the lily bulbs by digging. When picking up bulbs and loading them into baskets, keep the root system, remove all soil, handle them gently, and do not toss or throw them carelessly. Grade and basket them separately: 1) Seed-saving bulbs and non-seed-saving bulbs packed separately. 2) Diseased bulbs and healthy bulbs packed separately. 3) Large bulbs and small bulbs packed separately. The lily skin is crisp and tender, so it is best to transport them directly in one trip to the processing or storage site. When taking them out of the basket, only pick them up one by one gently and place them down gently. After harvesting lilies, they must be immediately shaded from light and transported home to prevent sun exposure in the field and avoid exposure to light at home. Because after sun exposure and drying, the lily epidermis turns red, quality deteriorates, and the germination rate decreases.