Have you ever tried to grow lilies from scales? If you haven’t, you are missing one of the most interesting gardening experiences.
Many new hybrid garden lilies produce little or no seed, so propagating them from scales (the segments of the bulb which look like sections of an artichoke) is an easy way to increase your stock.
Forced Lily Bulbs For Easter Blooming
I became interested when I visited a neighborhood greenhouse where the men were busy potting up lily bulbs to force Easter blooming.
One case of bulbs from Japan contained the favorite L. speciosum rubrum, the bulbs packed in white sand.
A number of the lily scales had become detached from the bulbs, and clinging to many of them were tiny bulb lets. Some scales had as many as three.
I asked one of the men about the bulblets and learned that they were common in bulbs that had been in cold storage, especially those shipped from Japan. He dumped the box of sand onto the potting bench and told me to help myself.
I gathered almost a pint of scales, some without bulblets, others with two, and a few with as many as three.
Method Of Scaling Lilies
We had grown a good many lilies from seed but knew very little about the methods employed in producing them from scales.
We practiced the following method of scaling on these varieties, all of the hardy lily types:
- Regal
- Croft
- Creole
- L. formosanum
- All whites
- Golden-tinted L. henryi
- Ruby-colored L. speciosum, of the larger-flowered group;
- Two rock garden gems, blood red L. tenuifolium
- The beautiful apricot yellow Golden Gleam
Container To Use
I obtained a wooden box, 14″ x 16″ x 6″, such as those in which California grapes are packed and shipped. This is not too durable, but it makes an inexpensive container lasting long enough to serve its purpose.
Dust The Scales
The first procedure is to dust the scales. Not being familiar with this, our first attempt to increase the number of lilies in our garden was most discouraging.
Thanks to experimental work at the Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md., with fungicide dust, we have learned how to cope with diseases that attack the scales and small bulblets.
We now dust the scales with either Arasan or Fermate after removing them from the bulb. Small lots are dusted in paper bags. About 1 tablespoonful of dust is used for a pint of scales; any excess is saved and used on the next batch of scales.
Propagating Medium
First, we tried growing the scales in the sand; then, we tried peat moss. We found peat moss a good propagating medium, but it dried out too quickly in our warm basement. So now we are using vermiculite and find it most satisfactory.
Laying Lily Scales In Box
We begin by laying 2” inches of vermiculite in the bottom of the box. Over that, we spread a layer of lily scales, spaced so that they do not touch each other. Then we cover the scales with 2” inches of vermiculite.
If you have a good many scales, even of different varieties, you will still have room for another lot. We have found that a 14″ x 16″ x 6″ box will hold as many as 200 scales.
You can stack a number of these boxes so that each does duty as the cover of the one below, with a wooden lid placed on the top box. When you have filled the box, water thoroughly. One watering should be enough.
Best For Propagating
Scales taken from bulbs right after the lilies have bloomed best for propagating. Scales taken from bulbs in November and December and given a place in a warm basement will produce bulblets ready for the garden rows in March in Virginia.
Planting Date
The bulblets will have grown large enough to go into outdoor garden rows by March or April or according to your usual planting date.
Make furrows deep enough to cover the bulblets. At least 2” inches deep is about right. Give them a light side dressing of a well-balanced (4-12-4) fertilizer.
Scale Bulblet
Occasionally a scale bulblet will flower outdoors within 12 months. This can easily be accomplished with scales taken from L. formosanum.
Wide scaled varieties will give you flowering bulbs in the second year. The first few outside scales of any bulb usually produce larger and better bulblets.
Some lily bulbs produce small scales; others thin and delicate ones; others, like the regal lily and L. henryi, large, sturdy, and dependable ones.
Scales from many hybrid lily bulbs, coupled with a little patience, will produce several bulblets and, later, a satisfying addition to your lily collection.
44659 by C Hubbard