AboutTom Alonzo Expertise I have been growing plants from seeds for at least 20 years. I have grown literally hundreds of different kinds of vegetables, trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, tropicals, some cacti, water plants, iris, rose, lilies, cannas, etc. I enjoy starting from seed.
Experience I've been growing my own seeds for 20 years with indoor propagation equipment I built myself. I am also an Allexperts volunteer on the perennial forum. I have completed the Master Gardener course through the Kansas State University Extension. I have experience with a wide variety of seeds and I have also read through Norm Deno's books on seed germination.
Question Hi Tom, I have the tiny blackish brown seeds from a tiger lily saved to plant.
Shall I let these seeds (that I recently removed from the leaves) dry out or
when should I plant them? When I plant them, how far apart should I plant
them from one another or should I place several in the hole together? I read
your article that said it may take two years for the plants to produce. Thank
you for any help/suggestions you have for me.
Answer Hi Kimberly,
Thanx for your question and thank you for using the Search function to research past answers. This is a big help to me and it helps get you an answer quicker. The seeds you describe are actually called bulbils and they (as you already know) can be found in the leaf axils. I planted mine in a pot about an inch deep. They do better if they get a little cold treatment. For instance, place them in a damp (not wet) paper towel and seal this in a plastic baggie. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 days and then plant the bulbils an inch deep in a pot of regular potting soil. The roots will grow first. If you had a clear plastic pot, you could see the roots coming out of the bulbils. After a few months, the leaves begin to emerge. The first year, the plant will most likely not bloom but will spend its time growing green growth to gather energy from the sun which will be stored in the developing bulb for next season's growth and bloom. You can start the bulbils indoors around late December so that the plants are ready to put outdoors in April after the last frost. It's okay to plant multiple bulbils in the same pot to start out. Once the green growth has emerged, you can carefully transplant to separate pots or wait to put outdoors in the garden. I hopet this helps.
Tom
