Having long been intimidated by growing anything more complex than a marigold from seed, I've been spreading my wings, so to speak, the last couple of years and having great fun. Armed with lots of good info and having learned the importance of sterility and good grow lights, I've now embarked on lilies from seed. You can't imagine my joy when I saw these L.formosum seedlings! Does it look like they are ready to remove the plastic tent?
And here is my first L.langkongense that just showed this morning!
I also tried my hand at scaling for the first time, and have babies! beaker, remember those scales you sent me? Here are a couple.
Nice work, gemini. Thye look good.
You have a lot of the formosum seedlings, if they don't sweat I think you could leave the tent over them loosely for a while longer.
Congrats on the L. lankongense! Did you grow those under lights too?
I sowed 15 of your L. henryii, and now have 11 showing! I have had them in the garage, I also have one L pardalinum growing and a few yellow henryii.
I remove any humidity tent as soon as germination is evident. Keeping them in high humidity will encourage legginess. Quite a crop you have there. Congratulations!
The formosum seed had'nt been candled and all were pretty transparent, so I sowed them heavily. Looks like they were all viable!
I've sown all of them under lights; natural light here is sorely lacking. Janet, I'm thrilled that those L.henryii are doing so well! I have some yellow henryii sown too that I'm anxiously awaiting.
Thanks for the tip Rick. I'll go ahead and remove the plastic- I was thinking they may be ready for some air circulation.
If all goes well this spring with seedlings, I'll start doing crosses this year. What a great winter time gardening activity!
And remember like always when plant tissues are exposed, removal of the humidity cover should be done in stages. Wouldn't want any shocking going on.
Which reminds me (or is it the other way around): someone brought one of those pens to work that shock you when you depress the button to extend the ball point. (Surprisingly, a very good gag) Most people, it seems, are so sensitive. Me, I get ten times the shock five times a day, just from static electricity at home. I kept clicking the pen so the gag player thought something was wrong with pen. But he didn't fall for it.
gemini,
congratulations.........you sound like me with seeds. i was so thrilled last year when i finally had trays of annuals to plant. easy annuals, but still a lot of them. :-)
what is the mixture you are using for you scales?
debi z and franklin
LOL, Rick! I usually have the same problem every winter getting shocked constantly, but this year I have so many plants in the house I think the extra humidity has taken care of it. I'm glad you mentioned that about removing the plastic in stages. I'm using large zip lock bags and left it open a bit today, so I'll gradually open it more till I remove it.
Thanks Debi! Is'nt it nice when you start feeling more confident and empowered! To start the scales I used slightly damp peat, and to grow them I'm using a gritty, sharp draining mix of some peat based potting soil, compost, and crushed granite. Thats a layer of crushed granite on top to control soil gnats.
And my I emphasize slightly damp peat moss. If you are getting a little condensation of free water in the bag, it is probably not going to rot your scales, but in my opinion, it is still too wet. if you're getting a lot of condensation, it is too wet. All you need is the prevention of loss of water from the scales and growing bulblets, not the absortion of water.
sounds easy enough.
where do i get the crushed grit inexpensively.
another project to think and plan for :-)
debi
Another L.langkongense is up today!
I get crushed granite from a livestock feed store. Its called chick grit, and is inexpensive that way.
And what size chic grit (crushed granite) do you use, Neal? #1? I can just see Debi going to a co-op, asking for crushed granite, then being confounded by the question of size, coming home with turkey grit (#4), and not having it work.
I think it must be #1 because it says "starter" on the bag, but I could'nt find the # of the size. They look about half the size of a BB.
Rick, the Robbinsdale Farm and Garden Store carries this. I thought it would be the oyster shell grit, but it was the granite and will work OK as a top dress. I'd still like to fine the crushed oyster shell. Anyone know where this can be obtained?
Some feed stores sell crushed oyster shell too, its a good calcium (I think) source for egg production (strong shells). Is salinity a problem with crushed shell, or is it just a matter of rinsing it well?
You know, I've wondered about this myself (salinity of crushed oyster shell). I have about the equivalent of 10 gallons of it left over from when I had a pet laying hen. I guess it depends on how well it has been washed? If it has been washed. I'll find out and be back in a few days with an answer to that question....
Since this you folks are talking about seedlings etc.
What might cause seedling leaves to turn yellow or brownish yellow and die? I have some seedlings that lose some leaves but have healthy ones that stay on the same plant. Some seedlings look sick only to have healthy leaves come up and the sick ones fall off.
Frustrated in Wisconsin...
Andrew, this is purely the speculation of a novice, but I'm wondering if there could be a nutrient deficiency. What have you been feeding them? And speaking of fertilizing, when should I start? What fertilizers do you pros suggest?
1/2tsp/gal of Miracle Grow look alike stuff. Once a week and occasionally every other week.
My seedling leaves often do the same thing (yellow, die, replace). I feed mine water that has Osmocote soaking in it. They seem to otherwise thrive on it. I am thinkingf that too much water may be the problem as the symptom is similar to lilies in the landscape that get too much water during the growing season.
Could your growing mix be holding moisture for too long?
BB size would be #1 chic grit (the smallest). There is a #00, smaller yet, but not easily found here. The kind of grit seems to be variable according to where you are in the country. In my area of Minnesota, granite is all I can find. Amply available as a MN natural resource. I suspect it comes from a particular granite company I know of in western MN. I frequent the area because of the very interesting, and some rather rare flora. Coastal areas tend to have the oyster shell grit more available. An Iowan I know tells me that all that is around for him is a marble-looking type material. Other people have limestone grit, that us MN rock gardeners lust over. Kinda funny, because we have limestone quarries here, but no one seems to make limestone grit.
Regarding your seedlings, Andrew, another possibility might be insufficient light: where not enough sugars are being produced to support both new and old foliage. But as long as you are getting a total increase of foliage area, I would not worry too much.
And I suppose it might be the other end of thespectrum, if you are sure you're not overwatering. Usually more of an older plant problem, it might be underwatering: where the plants don't receive enough water to support additional leaves, so the old ones are dropped as new ones grow.
Could be water, I have been trying to keep better tabs on how wet things are though. Would city water damage them?
Don't believe it is light, they are under fluorescent 16 to 20 hours and in the window sill 4 to 8.
What would lack of nutrients look like in a lily seedling that is 4 to 5 months old?
Another L.langkongense up today, that makes 3!
How long do lily seed stay viable at room temp? I had saved some L.pumillum seed and forgotten to freeze them; they were from '05. I went ahead and sowed some, but still waiting with crossed fingers.
I read somewhere that lily seed viability rapidly decreases after 10 months or so... ok here it is
" Lily seed viability quickly diminishes after nine to ten months storage at room temperature. For long term storage, store dry seeds in air tight containers in a freezer. Good quality seed stored in a deep freezer will last 40 years or longer."
http://www.open.org/~halinar/lilygermination.html
I was afraid of that. I'll give 'em time, may be a fluke and have a couple germinate.
Here are the 3 L.langkongense today:
thanks for the info about the chicken grit. your right, i would have been standing there like, awwwwww i don't know what #. they didn't tell me that. hmmmm??? back to the computer.
oyster shells are used around lily bulbs too, to keep voles or other critters away from them. i preferred this to some stones i've been using, i think i'll start to look about for it now that i have a general knowledge of where to look. thanks everyone.
debi & franklin
Neal, I thought you might like to see your L henryii seedlings! 15/15, can't better that!
Wonderful, Janet! I dug the bulbs those seed came from and 1 of them has 4 growth tips! There are lots of big bulblets too, some 12cm circ.
I have 1 yellow henryii up now, and 5 L.langkongense that are looking good. The formosas look healthy and perky too, so I'm still with the game, lol.
Most of the L.formosum have 2nd leaves now. Do these look like they are ready to transplant?
I lost a couple of L.langkongense, but the remaining 3 are getting their 2nd leaves.
These are the babies from scales of Oriental 'Little John'
More babies from 'Little John' scales that formed little bulbs later.
Great going Neal! I think the formosums could be transplanted now, but I would be tempted to leave them just a little longer. All of the L henryii have germinated and growing well, most of the yellow henryii have come up too.
I have some more species starting to germinae that I sowed in February, L sargentiae, regale, centifolium, and some starting from earlier sowings of L martagon and pardalinum. Still have epigeal ones to sow, which I would have done by now if the weather had stayed as it was supposed to!
Will have to get pics sometime.
I still only have 1 yellow L.henryii, and it looks bad. I hate the peat based mix I used for them; it makes overwatering too easy. I've been babying it and only water a few drops at a time, so we'll see. I've been mixing my own medium with lots of leafy compost as you described and am loving the results. I've started some seed and transplanted several annual seedlings into it and they all seem very happy. The Pink Mist Zant seedlings are getting big in it too!
Cant wait to see your baby pics!
Remember the Lathrys vernus seed you sent me? Those babies are slow, but patience pays off. I started some inside under lights in December, and here is what a couple of pots of the pink look like. One of the purple is just starting to emerge too. I have containers of both wintersown too, but wanted to try both ways for increased odds.
This message was edited Mar 18, 2007 11:36 AM
Wait, are you saying you have hypogeal germinators coming up now, Wallaby? I have a couple, but only because they were flukes and germinated hypogeal immediate, instead of hypogeal delayed as they should be. Those would be from a martagon mix and martagon x marhan.
Also have some western U.S. species producing their first little bulblets (but not leaves): kelloggii, columbianum and even a parvum var. hallidayi(thanks Wallaby).
And about this stuff about seedlings not being able to take direct sun: hogwash. Mine are happy in a south window. However they sure aren't as big as yours Neal, but no scorching, burning or any sign of discomfort.
I've been out until late, so will try to get pics tomorrow (today), it's 1.30am here. Neal I sowed the Lathyrus I think in February, they are now popping up all over, the pink is ahead but purple is following. Mine are in the greenhouse, they do need some cold and the warm weather we had has been perfect. Your pink ones look to be well ahead!
Yep Lefty, it looks like I have hypogeal geminating now. Without checking, I think I have one martagon with a leaf, one or two pardalinum with a leaf and one was uncovered with a bulblet outside the seed, as I sowed them in pots there's probably more. The temperatures in the garage must have been ideal for them. I don't know if my kelloggii etc. have made bulblets, now I will have to have a scratch around! I'll note the dates I sowed them when I take pics. At the moment I think there's one each of L sargentiae, regale and centifolium with a leaf, they are getting lots of sun in the neighbours greenhouse, night temps have been close to freezing often.
The mix as you note Neal is perfect for any seed germination, I now just sprinkle finer leaf mould over the top so the seeds are not kept too wet on top, but have more moisture underneath.
Neal,
Am really happy!!!!! for your seeds. Just be careful not to over water them. And you know, when you put them in the garden, it might be just as well to tip the entire formosum pot out and plant the whole mess, without trying to divide. You will be much less likely to lose any that way. Of course, they will probably grow much faster down there, than mine up here. At the mo, mine look the same as yours, more or less.
inanda
