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A Detailed Guide to Propagating Lilies from Bulbils: Grow Lily Seedlings from Bulbils

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Lily seeds have an extremely short lifespan; after half a year in storage they lose their ability to germinate, and seedlings grown from seed need many years of cultivation before they can flower. After sowing, lilies must be cultivated for several years before commercial bulbs can be obtained. Therefore, vegetative propagation is generally used first to obtain planting bulbs, which are then planted in the field to grow into commercial lilies. Planting bulbs are small bulbs of 50 g to 100 g first grown from various propagation materials, and the number of years required varies depending on the propagating organ used. The method of bulbils cultivation is briefly described below. The bulbil cultivation method is suitable for varieties that produce bulbils,

Lily seeds have an extremely short lifespan; after half a year in storage they lose their ability to germinate, and seedlings grown from seed need many years of cultivation before they can flower. After sowing, lilies must be cultivated for several years before commercial bulbs can be obtained. Therefore, vegetative propagation is generally used first to obtain planting bulbs, which are then planted in the field to grow into commercial lilies. Planting bulbs are small bulbs of 50 g to 100 g first grown from various propagation materials, and the number of years required varies depending on the propagating organ used. The method of bulbils cultivation is briefly described below.

The bulbil cultivation method is suitable for varieties that produce bulbils, such as the tiger lily. Harvest mature bulbils in summer, and from late September to early October open sowing furrows 4 cm deep at a row spacing of 12 cm to 15 cm, sow 1 bulbil every 4 cm to 6 cm in the furrow, and cover with about 3 cm of soil after sowing. Before the ground freezes, earth up, cover with straw and mulch film to help them overwinter safely. When seedlings emerge the following spring, remove the covering straw and film, cultivate and weed, and apply appropriate topdressing and watering to promote vigorous growth of the seedlings. After the aboveground parts wither in autumn, dig up the small bulbs and sow them again at a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 9 cm to 12 cm, covering with soil about 6 cm thick, and cultivate for another year using the same management methods as the previous year; in autumn, planting bulbs that have reached the standard size can be harvested, while some small bulbs that have not reached the standard can continue to be cultivated.

This method is only suitable for Lilium concolor var. pulchellum, which has bulbils. In summer and autumn, collect the mature bulbils and sow them by dibbling; small bulbs can form in the same year, sprout and emerge the following spring, and be dug up and replanted separately in autumn, with most able to flower after 3 years.

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