How to grow lilies from seeds?

Most gardeners consider the lily one of the most adorable types of flowers. Delicate buds come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. Bright and colorful representatives of the flora are perfect as decorations for a home, apartment or garden. In this article, we will tell you how to properly germinate lily seeds, and also consider varieties that can be grown at home.

The seed reproduction method takes time and effort. If you want to see lush and colorful flowers in the first year after planting, this method of growing will not work. In this case, the plants can start to delight with buds after 2 years. In some cases, the first flowers appear only after a few years. It depends on the variety, climatic conditions and other factors.

Despite all the difficulties of this option, the seed technique has its advantages. As a result, you get high-quality seedlings that have been grown in accordance with all the rules. When purchasing seedlings on the market, there is a risk of buying the wrong variety or spending money on a poor-quality product. Reproduction using seeds is mainly used by professional growers, but with due diligence, even a novice gardener can cope with the task.

To grow and propagate healthy and full-fledged seedlings, you need to select high-quality seed. For germination, you can choose one of two types of seeds: purchased and homemade. Each of the types gives excellent results with proper preparation and germination of the material. The result is stronger lines compared to the flowers that were obtained from the bulbs.

At home, they use seed collected from early flowering lilies. This is done for the reason that by the middle of summer only seed boxes of early varieties have time to fully mature. Lowering the temperature slows down the ripening process and has a negative effect on the germination of flowers. As soon as you notice that the seed box is no longer growing and is slightly wrinkled, you can start harvesting them. The boxes are carefully cut and left in a dry and light room.

If there is high humidity in the room, mold may grow. The seeds are removed when the containers with them begin to open on their own. They should be taken out carefully so as not to damage. Further, compulsory sorting is carried out. It must be placed above the plexiglass seed. Due to the small electrical charge, empty seeds stick to the glass. The process should be repeated several times. The rejected material is thrown away.

You can buy seeds of the desired variety at flower shops. As a rule, the finished product is already pre-processed and sorted. Given the high demand for lilies, there is a wide range of different species on the market. Buying a finished product, you save a lot of time, but in this case you cannot be completely sure of the quality of the material and its compliance with the specified grade. Experts recommend discarding seeds at a suspiciously low price. Such material may have a low germination rate due to the large number of empty grains.

You can order products online, through online stores. Choose trusted and well-known brands that have an excellent reputation with most buyers. When purchasing, be sure to check the expiration date.

The ripe seed box is brown. Lily seeds can be brown or black, depending on the variety. Up to 200 seeds can be collected from one box. The shape is oval, slightly elongated. The thickness is 1 millimeter, the length is about 5 millimeters.

You can plant seeds almost immediately after collection or purchase. However, hardening is recommended before starting work. To do this, the material is sent to the refrigerator for several days, the temperature is maintained from 2 to 4 degrees Celsius with a plus sign.

Remember to prepare the soil in advance for planting seeds. The best option is to buy a ready-made ground mix designed specifically for lilies. And you can also cook it yourself. To do this, mix leafy, soddy soils and coarse sand in equal proportions, add a little charcoal.

Seed material is distributed in seedling boxes. A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the container, after which it is covered with a prepared soil mixture. The seeds are carefully laid out on the surface of the earth, keeping the distance between them from 1 to 1.5 centimeters. The seed is sprinkled with a layer of sand. Watering is done without fail. The water is poured neatly.

The best time to plant is early spring. So young lilies will appear by autumn. Some gardeners plant the material in February. The boxes are placed in a warm and dark room, covered with thick film or glass. This will create a greenhouse effect so that the seeds will germinate earlier. In the room where the seedling boxes are stored, the air temperature must be maintained from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius above zero.

Do not overmoisten the soil as this can lead to mold growth. Use clean or settled water, adding it only when the top layer of the earth dries. Under optimal conditions, the sprouts will be visible after 20-25 days.

As soon as young seedlings appear on the surface, the container is rearranged to the light. The minimum daylight hours for sprouts are from 10 to 12 hours. If there is a lack of natural lighting, it is necessary to install additional light sources in the room.

As soon as two leaves have appeared on the seedlings, they can be planted in a new container and put in place permanently. When transplanting into other boxes, seedlings are planted at a minimum distance of 4 centimeters from each other. In the process of diving, make sure that the roots and leaves are not damaged, otherwise the lily may die.

If you are going to plant a lily at home and grow it in a pot, it is recommended to opt for short plants. Asian and Oriental hybrids are presented in the form of short and compact shrubs, which are ideal for growing in apartments. The maximum height of such lilies is 80 centimeters.

Despite the small growth, the above varieties are characterized by large flowers. Their sizes vary from 12 to 20 centimeters in diameter and even more. There is a wide variety of colors to choose from, from bright and saturated to dark and light shades. In addition to the buds of amazing beauty, you get a pleasant aroma.

Asian varieties look attractive. The sizes of flowers of such species are from 7.5 to 10 centimeters in diameter. These types of lilies are devoid of aroma, which is a significant advantage for many flower growers.The choice of colors is also varied.

Let's consider the most popular varieties.

• Spring Romance. Strong flowers with a maximum diameter of over 20 centimeters. The height of the hybrid species is from 50 to 60 centimeters. The petals are colored in a single color and are covered with small dark red spots. In the center, the flower is decorated with a pattern in the shape of a yellow star.
• Dark Romance. The variety attracts attention with its rich, dark pink color of the petals. Closer to the throat of the bud, a burgundy spot is noticeable. The height of the plant is the same as that of the previous species. The size of the flowers can vary from 12 to 25 centimeters.
• Fine Romance. Delicate lilies with a soft color, combining powdery pink and white. The middle of the flower is decorated with yellow lines. The diameter of the flowers varies from 18 to 22 centimeters. The height ranges from 40 to 50 centimeters.
• White Joy. Asian species with large and snow-white flowers. Plant growth is compact - from 30 to 40 centimeters. The size of the opened bud is about 15 centimeters. The plant is practically odorless.
• Sunny Joy. This type of lily will surely attract the attention of gardeners choosing colorful varieties. The petals of this variety are colored deep yellow with a slight red tint in the center. The maximum plant height is 50 centimeters. The diameter of the flower reaches 16 centimeters.
• Precious Joy. A bright red lily with double flowers will be a wonderful decoration for your home. The maximum height of the Asian species is 60 centimeters. The diameter of the blossoming bud is about 16 centimeters.

For information on how to germinate lilies from seeds, see below.