Sowing Seed.

The seed may be sown as soon as it is harvested, and this is a particularly good idea for some lilies like martagons which may take more than a year to germinate. It is possible to keep it until Spring and sow it then, but if you want to keep it longer, put it in a container to keep it dry, and place it in the freezer.

How do I sow my seed? Everyone has their own methods, but here is what I do, and why. Not having a suitable greenhouse, I use a few North facing window sills. Northern hemisphere people will no doubt use South facing ones! I don't sow many seed at once. If I have a lot of one sort, I may sow some in Autumn and some in Spring.

I use a throw-away empty container such as the sort you might get margarine in. Because this will go on the window sill, I do not put holes in the bottom, but, it means watering has to be done very carefully! In a greenhouse situation I would definitely punch holes in the bottom.

I then put in the potting mix, which is sterile, and lay the seed on top. I do not use soil out of the garden as it contains bugs and weed seeds. I cover the seed with a thin layer of more mix. My mix is rather course, to facilitate good drainage. Lilies like, in any stage of growth, really good drainage.

Once the seed is covered with a layer of mix, I add a layer of fine grit, very small stones, or as in this case, some pumice stone. It depends on what I have to hand.

Why do I do this? Well, the grit does two things. It keeps the potting mix in place, and it keeps it moist.

Two weeks later, if I'm lucky, I may see the first little grass like leaf appear. Generally though, I'm looking at around 3 or maybe 4 weeks, depending on temperature and sun in my window sill. Not all lily seed will appear so soon. Some seed does not produce a leaf at first, instead it produces a tiny bulb under the soil, and you may not see a first leaf appear until Spring or even the following year! Do not be hasty in throwing out containers.