I have several Lily bulbs planted throughout my garden. This is their first year so it is a "watch and wait" time. I had a couple of extra bulbs, Muscadet, that I planted in a large container. One of them grew fairly well and I have transplanted to the main bed. The second bulb had a little growth but I think the rodents ate the top of it. When I removed the bulb from the soil many of the scales seperated from the main bulb. I have read that these will grow.
The question is, do these scales have to be planted right away or can they be saved till next year?
How would you plant them, soil, light requirements, ect?
Chuck
Lily Scales
Chuck, this is what works for me. I use peat moss [slightly damp] and put scales in a plastic baggie. Leave top open and put in box and put heavy book on top of it. I had all of my scales produce little bulbs using this method. Last fall was the first time that I had tried this.
Hope this works for you.
Maxine
Slightly damp means barely!! The soil should not feel wet at all, maybe just kind of cool. Seal the baggy to prevent moisture loss to the scale. The book provides good contact of the soil to the scale and seems to promote faster bulb production. Some scales will start setting bulbs immediately. Some orientals are really slow and it may take six months or more for a bulblet to begin to grow. About once a month, check your scale. If the soil feels really dry, spritz it once with a spray bottle of water. Reseal and stick away again.
Beak, I don't seal mine at all and still have all of them set bulbs. I just set out 39 bulbs this morning from last falls scaling.
Maxine
I don't and I've had great success too. I would think with the bag open you'd be messing with the moisture too much. Just MHO.
I did this with some scale from a Carolina lily in August and sealed the bag full of moistened peat moss. Sealed here due to the dry heat. OTH, the bag stayed in excessive heat.
This past weekend I discovered plants growing from the scale. As I am going into winter, I wonder whether to pot in what type of soil? And how deeply? I need to pot rather than in ground as we get soaked (hopefully) in winter and am afraid they would rot or wash away in beds. Any thoughts?
As you are planting out, may I suggest you cover area with wire to stop cats and other critters damaging them during the winter. I would plant them an inch or two deep as they will find their own depth as they grow.
Congrats.
inanda
I would toss it in the fridge for the winter.
(Nice to see you here again, beak. You've been missed)
Popped up in my watched threads. Not really following any of the gardening threads right now. My first surgery is mid-November and the second one will probably be early January. Still have all the cardio-vascular hoops to go through (starting next week). I've been procrastinating something awful about all this; mainly due to fear. Hopefully, once this is all past, I'll get back into the swing come Spring.
my thoughts are with you....
Beaker ~ not "in" on what surgery but I will wish you the best. DH has had 4 major surgeries in recent. I will say if it is cardio ~ you will feel much better. Good luck!
Inanda ~ we see milder weather here with cold spells and an occasional hard freeze. I am thinking to pot them in groups in 4" or larger pots and set them outdoors. Perhaps sinking into a bed for root protection. Does anyone think that will present a problem?
Do not 'set' above ground in my opinion. Sink pots into the ground. Make sure you cover lip of the pot. Keep us posted about these in the spring.
Signing off tomorrow for Cdn. Thanksgiving.
inanda
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience. pod