Lilium experience up date

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Because of bad experience of past, I had stopped growing Lilium. Three years ago I again started to grow them.
The sprouted bulbs I bought in Nov. 2011, except for a few others bloomed very well. They were left in the pots, some died others produced bulb lets and some bloomed late in April, the blooms were poor and lasted a short while.
Some more new bulbs were added in 2012. After normal bloom some bulbs were lifted and stored in refrigerator in some peat. yesterday I opened it and found a big mass of tangled roots and shoots.

Out of curiosity I opened one of the pots having dormant bulbs, The growth was there too but relatively far less.
How the biological clock works?

Today I opened up all pots except one and found;
Some bulbs had completely turned in to bulb lets, each scale forming a bulb let, some had reduced in size having a few bulb lets attached to the remains of old stem.
I have re-planted all bulb lets a dozen to a 14 inch pot and bigger bulbs go to refrigerator for two weeks chilling.
This year I will get only a dozen or so bulbs and harvest them as soon as the stems dry up, Keep them in moist peat and store in a cool dark place, come September I will chill them for 4 weeks before planting.
I don't want them as annuals, if I can get blooms year after year they will stay, else SIONARA.
Arif

[Syed Adnan]

Oriental Lillies are Summer Flowering Bulbs , how come they need refrigerator chilling, once i get them rebloomed next season by keeping them in the same pot throughout the year.

You may find a lot of info on internet but not all is applicabe to our weather.

They definitely dislikes the high temperature of Lahore and wants a long winter after which they bloom. If you notice even for you they will bloom in April or May (early summer not in spring)

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

You may find a lot of info on internet but not all is applicabe to our weather.

They definitely dislikes the high temperature of Lahore and wants a long winter after which they bloom. If you notice even for you they will bloom in April or May (early summer not in spring)

The blooms of April & May are not worth the effort, left in the pot they start multiplying, the behavior is totally unpredictable.
Here is a pot I did not touch, the bulb on the left is getting ready to bloom and should bloom in 6-8 weeks, the other two have split in to bulblets.



Arif

[Syed Adnan]

this unpredictable behavious is because of the weather they are not native to, here in Jubail summer is very long and they find time to bloom in APRIL / MAY only. its a good learning !

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

The bulb pictured above is not blooming but has gone in to some sort of malformation see the centre.



The bulbs kept in refrigerator are progressing well and should bloom soon.



Arif