Planting sprouted lilies

Hi All
I have finally rec'd all my lily orders and some of them have sprouted 1", 2"& 3" sprouts on some,

My question is this...can the sprouted parts be buried under ground so the bulb is at the proper depth or do the sprouts have to be above ground? The leaves have started to splay out on some although not by much.

Please everyone chime in here as I have to do them all this weekend.

Thanks for any help...........Arosey

Be careful with them but plant the bulb at the proper planting depth. That means that shorter sprouts will be underground while really tall sprouts can be partially aboveground.

I agree! It is preferable to plant with the sprout below ground if it isn't TOO deep. The bulbs will continue to grow and the stalk will come up as usual. First year lilies will generally be shorter than normal and perhaps bloom a little later but it extends the season. As long as the bulb is still firm to the touch there should be no problem. I prefer a bulb to be somewhat sprouted this time of year as it shows the bulb is willing to grow!