hello again averyone! small dilemma. i got lots of lily bulbs, will post pics of them soon... when i get organized... but right now... please tell me... what do i do with the little bulblets that grow on one kind of lilies only... the turk's cap... pink with dots. check the pictures. i found these on all stems but only on this kind of lilies. they are bulblets right? the weather gets really cold in winter... i will leave the big bulbs that flowered this year right where they are... in the ground till next year... but... these "SeedS" do i plant them in the ground as well? will they survive through the cold freezing winter? do i pick them up and store them? how? do plant them in a pot and keep the pot inside during winter??? got lots of them and would be nice to have more lilies the coming years... and by the way, how do the other lilies multiply? is it all going on under the ground??? will i have more than one from the old bulbs??? CALIN [/img] [/img] [/img]
Those black dots are called bulbils, and each one might grow to become a lily bulb. I've put a few in the ground, just pushed it below the surface, and they've sprouted for me and grown. If you do nothing, some will fall off and take root anyway. They will take some years to develop into a bulb big enough to bloom, but if you have patience it's a good way to get free flowers. I've never tried to take them off and store them, since they naturally will seed themselves in autumn. Lily bulbs divide themselves underground. Some are very good at multiplying, while others take years, depending on the species. If you want more of a specific lily, you can divide one bulb up into shells, and put the shells individually into the ground. I've done that with Martagon lilies. Not from choice, mind. The lily bulb fell apart because I dug too close to it. Most of those small shells sprouted, and after about five years I had a good clump of pretty, blooming Martagon lilies. It's worth doing if you have the heart to break one of your bulbs up.
LOL... i called them bulblets.... well, thanks droopy... you are always there to reply to my posts i guess i will just collect them when the stems start dying and plant them... i hope to mark and remember the spot and not dig it in spring THANKS
I think bulblets is a sweet word, and I understood what you meant before I opened your post. Good luck with your propagation, I hope it goes well for you.
