Lilies: Scales or seed, 1 by pardalinum

pardalinum wrote:
Scaling produces a clone, just as if you take a cutting from a plant and root it. You can do it when you receive your bulbs, prior to planting. I usually take no more than 3 scales. Try to remove the scale with some of the basal plate as this is where the bulblets form. Sometimes I use a paring knive to start a cut, otherwise the scale easily breaks higher up and the chance of success goes down. This technique is used by the growers for propagation. I tried to position these scales so you can see the bulblets growing right on the curve that previously connected to the basal plate.

I haven't noticed any difference in time to first bloom. Both methods start from the beginning of bulblet formation. Seed is used to create new lilies and propagate species, which will grow true from seed.