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Growing Lilies from Seed

© Bill Richardson

Under Wet paper.

This was similar to above and gave the same results. The paper was stained with brown colour after a few days which had leached out of the seed coating because of the water. It may be that the coating is a germination inhibitor and that soaking removes this possibility. This is only a personal comment;some types of seed do need soaking before germination but I doubt that this is the case with Lilium.

Potting mix.

This is by far the easiest method to use, especially with Trumpets, Aurelians and Asiatics, as they germinate very easily. With the delayed hypogeal species like Orientals and Martagons, it may be best to start them in some type of medium like peat or sphagnum moss.

Although all methods did work, the conclusion is that potting mix is the favourable way, because eventually they will have to grow on in potting mix anyway.

The exception to the rule would possibly be the Martagon species and the harder species which are slow. With these methods, you can actually watch their progress as they grow. To show this, included is a photo of a Martagon seed that germinated on wet paper within 4 weeks and it has developed a nice little bulb.

With the peat moss and sphagnum moss, moisten it and then squeeze out the excess water and put about a cupful in a zip lock bag. Then add a small quantity of seed to each bag and seal them; mine were then stored inside in my seed room, on shelves.

They were checked regularly until most had germinated, then transferred to normal pots. I have read that it is better to keep the bags slightly open but my experience was that it really doesn't matter. The only seeds I haven't potted on are the Martagons, which I will continue in the moss to watch the bulbs increase in size. It is also recommended that the Martagons be given a cold spell of 12 weeks in the fridge to help maintain their growing pattern. After they have developed a nice little bulb, it is best to give them a small amount of Liquid fertiliser to help them grow on. Lilium seeds are divided into two groups, generally referred to as slow or quick germinating (hypogeal and epigeal, respectively). Slow germinating seeds require a warm period to make them germinate (summer), a cold rest period (winter), then another warm period to initiate them into leaf production (spring). It could take eighteen months or more before the first tiny leaf is produced. It is probable that this will be the only leaf produced in that season, so it should be carefully protected, as it will be helping to develop the first tiny bulb.