I tried starting a few lilies from scales this year. I just transplanted a few that made plants into 4" containers. My question is: Can you trim some of the folage so they will stand up right?. Some of them are 4-6" long and they fall over when by themself. I know that I trim my seedlings off of my daylilies, but this is all new developing plants from scales.
Thanks
plants from scales
Leave all the foliage in place. It is normal for it to flop like that. There is a big difference between the root/bulb systems of hems and liliums. The scale bulblets really need all the foliage possible as long as possible to promote growth of the bulbs.
I have never trimmed the foliage from my daylily seedlings. Is there a benefit by doing this?
I chop off both iris & hems in the winter when they hit the lights. Never lilium though. If lilum go brown and dry off, into the fridge with them, pots with a bit of watering and then into ziplock bags so they don't dry out too fast.
Check VERY CAREFULLY for blooom stalks first. I've done that too, on iris. (LAs)
PARDALINUM: Regarding trimming Daylily seedlings, I have always trimmed. I plant my seeds in 1 gal containers. Most of the time I let them grow in the containers for 6 or more months (really to long) They get real tall. I trim them because (I THINK) they put everything into their root system. I have been doing this for over 5 years. It seems to work for me.
OK, I'll do that with my hem seedlings. How many hem seeds do you plant in each 1 gal container? My seedlings are in somewhat smaller containers. I snip off my lettuce starts when I plant them out. They seem to get going much quicker.
Up to 20 seeds per 1 gal. Depending on how many I got from a crossing. You might want to ask others in the daylily forum before you trim them. My weather might be different and other factors may play into this.
