Content
- The seeds of the lily - characteristics and seeding
- When are the capsule fruits ripe and the seeds ready for harvest?
- Characteristics of the seeds
- Germinate seeds
- Tips & Tricks
Lilies can easily be propagated through seeds
The seeds of the lily - characteristics and seeding
Those who want to use the seeds to multiply the lilies, can be lucky and win completely new varieties. For (hobby) breeders this is absolutely worthwhile. What should one know about the seeds and their sowing?
When are the capsule fruits ripe and the seeds ready for harvest?
After lilies have finished their flowering and the flowers are withered on the plant, the capsule fruits form out.
Forming seeds costs lilies a lot of power. Therefore, you should cut off the dried inflorescence if you are not looking for the seeds. If you want to harvest the seeds for sowing, wait until the fruits are ripe and burst. Cut off the fruit and remove the seeds. As a rule, numerous seeds are present in the capsule fruits.
The maturity of capsule fruits reaches its peak in autumn. The upright, up to 7 cm long and oblong-round capsule fruits are brown at this time and burst. They have three chambers inside. There, the seeds are strung together close to each other.
Characteristics of the seeds
The seeds of lilies vary in size and type. They have an average size of 0.5 cm. Furthermore, they are flat, roundish to triangular, narrowly winged and dipped in a light brown color.
Germinate seeds
The seeds of lilies germinate irregularly. It may take up to 2 years for a seedling to show up. Other seeds germinate after a few days. Due to this irregularity, it is recommended to sow several seeds at once.
The sowing takes place as follows:
Tips & Tricks
If you want to preserve exceptional varieties with different characteristics than the mother plant, you should cross the pollens of different varieties during flowering.