Lilies: Seed production vs. Bulb size, 1 by Leftwood

Leftwood wrote:
The Results

Firstly, I have to say this isn't a fair experiment, because my growing season was barely long enough to produce seed naturally. Pods cracked open while leaves were still green, but were already senescing. Non seed producing stems had turned brown only about 2 weeks before. This year has been unseasonably cool. Perhaps a normal Minnesota season with more heat would have be more adequate for believable results.

Pictured below are the findings from 18 Oct. The two on the right, still with stems (leaves had completely withered), are the ones that produced seed. On the left are the two where I remove flowers when they withered. I would label this test inconclusive, because of the aforementioned caveat, even though the two seed producing bulbs are a bit smaller.

Although all were originally planted the same, what I did find interesting was the corresponding depth in the soil where I found each bulb to be now. The photo is accurate in this respect. The two non seed producing bulbs were deeper by the amount shown. At first I found this to be a curious phenomenon, but after giving it some thought, it is exactly what I would expect at these stages of growth. (That's a clue.)

Your homework is to figure out why the bulbs grew at two different depths, and explain it to the rest of us.

Papers are due by Monday.
Class dismissed.