new lilies in the mail....it has begun!

I am so excited....The Lily Nook box just arrived...nicely sized and nicely solid bulbs. Now I need to really get going with the gardens....it has been a bit inclement and I have been feeling wimpy. No more excuses.
(a few scales are sending up their shoots....planted into pots a couple of weeks ago out of the fridge)
bunch of seedlings up and sprouting as well and some in the cold....
I think I will need to build a nice long border for these guys....
The only catch is that there is a HUGE amount of damage to the yard from moles/voles this year and whatever I do, it will have to include some significant protection.
Happy gardening all!
sue

Sue, when you get a chance, I'd like some guidance on your propagation of scales and a recommendation for a hormone product. Two of my bulbs came with broken stems and I'd like to save what I can.

Thanks

Re voles. Get ye to your local whoever (Lowes/Home Despot/for hardware cloth. Make a box for each bulb. That is what I've had to do with my martagons - in my case for bushy tailed rats with tubes above ground for bunnies.

A wirecutter and helpful family required for this activity.

Inanda - good luck.

Beaker....I use barely moistened peat or vermiculite or a mix of the two...after I break off a few scales from the big bulb, I put them in a baggie (sandwich size) with a small pinch of fungicide powder. I put them in a box and somewhere warm for 3 months or so. I check them every week or two to see if I need to add a spritz of water from a spray bottle....barely damp, almost dry is quite enough. After that they go into the fridge for another couple of months. This last batch was scaled in November and went into the fridge in January. I only had a couple out of about 25 or so that had no bulb visible...some had the beginnings of a nubbin and should continue to develop...I figure it is easier to keep them all together rather than have them in too many different stages/places. -----there are many online instructions available as well as here in the archives. I have learned a lot from all the friendly folks here....I don't use hormones. Not sure if they are needed.
Good luck,
Sue
I would break a few scales off of each and plant the rest of the bulb....you never know, they may send up another stem....and they will be all set for next year in any case.

Inanda,
LOL, yes my garden looks bizarre in the winter with all of the wire rings with gravel mulch that have sprung up....I bought a HUGE roll of 1/4" hardware cloth when our local Agway went out of business so I am ready for lots more tube building....my kids run the other way when they see me coming with the wire cutters looking pitiful...its a good project during movie nights.
I am debating the feasibility of lining an entire bed with the hadward cloth...though I think with the rocks around here, unless I make it a mostly raised bed, it isn't going to be possible to dig nearly 12" deep for any great stretch.
This one needs more mulch all over, but you get the idea...

Inanda, do you actually make a box for the bulb itself or just put the wire tube down to the planting depth of the bulb (or a little below)?

esw, your garden sort of looks like mine with the cages all around. I had to make a bunch of them the other day to protect my lilies from the "rats with furry tails".........they already attacked this year and I'm not to let them eat any more lily this year!

Steve

I was cleaning out another bed this afternoon and found a lily bulb about the size of a quarter sitting above ground. I think at one time it was a lot bigger. Can I take what left and do the scale thing? They're not much more than about 1/2", but it looks alive. I have it soaking right now. Geesh, I found a daff laying on top of the ground under leaves in my shade garden. No daffs planted there. It had roots and looked like it was going to put out two stalks. I planted it right where I found it, but not very deep. How do these bulbs get moved like this? My daffs are really planted deep. Is it the squirrels that are doing this or some other kind of critter?