At day 14 after planting these seeds and 15% came up. At day 17, 50% are up. Lily seeds take their time and your patience. They are worth it. Growing from seed gives you a one of a kind flower that no one else will have. Just like humans, each seed is different. No clones here. Continue reading to find out how to grow lily seeds.
Growing Lilies From Seed.
Step 1. Get Seed
a. Save seed produced by your own lilies. That is what we do at Lilyfield.
b. Access seed exchanges through the Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group or The North American Lily Society.
c. Buy seed from a source. Lilyfield seed here.
d. Trade seed with a friend.
Step 2. Saving Your Own Seed – Go to step 3 if you are buying seed.
We candle all our seed to give the best chance possible for germination. Candling involves back lighting seed, then selecting only those seeds that have a visible embryo. All seed we sell have visible embryos.
Step 3. Plant Your Seed
Fill clean, pots that have drainage holes with moistened soil-less mix. (Potting soil, seed starting mix or your own favourite blend to start seeds in). We do a mix of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite in bleached containers.
Plant seeds 1 cm below soil surface. Cover with mix and pat down. Cover container with a bag or dome to make a mini greenhouse effect at room temperature. Once sprouts show, 11-21 days, put underlights or in a window.
Once they have sprouted, keep the top of the soil slightly dry, bottom watering is best. If there is a damping off problem, spritz with a bleach water mix. Air circulation is important
Step 4. Plant Seedlings In The Ground
Once the seedlings are big enough plant them outdoors. We usually do ours from July through September. Mark them with a label so you don’t forget where they are. Wait a couple years and the flowers will start coming! Enjoy!