I have been attempting to grow martagon and asian lilies from seed for 3 years. Every time, the seedlings germinate, get their first set of leaves, but never make it through the summer. The initial leaves die back, then nothing. I've kept some over winter in a protected area, thinking they may have gone dormant, but no go.
Any clue as what I am doing wrong?

Thanks

Glenn

I wonder if they are getting too much water?
Are they in clay?
The lily seeds that I've planted in sand without supplemental water have done fine.

hey stone,
thanks for the reply.
i use basic potting mix (miracle grow) and add perlite to get decent drainage.
the seedlings are in a protected area and get watered when needed. all my other seedlings do well....the martagons, orientals and asians all get first leaves...about 2 or 3 inches tall, then just fail?????? it's frustrating.
haven't had this problem with my tiger lilies....they are very robust as seedlings, and flower around year 3.
how's things in zone 8? still waiting for spring up here........:)

Glenn - are your seedlings in individual pots when they fail? I'm wondering whether you sow the seeds in flats first, pot them on, and then you say they never make it through the summer... Are the pots in a sunny place? My guess is that the little bulbs are rotting during the summer months due to high temperatures and too much retained moisture. This can be a big problem with black plastic pots. Depending on your conditions you could also have an associated sciarid fly larvae problem (fungus gnats) that are attacking the roots. My experience is that many of the standard potting mixes retain too much moisture. And although perlite being porous does improve drainage, the perlite can also retain moisture. I have stopped using perlite and vermiculite entirely in my seed growing for this very reason (too much moisture retention) and have switched to ground pumice, and even then I add sand too. My mix would be roughly 50% potting soil (I prefer G&B Organics brand), 25% ground pumice and 25% sand. I typically measure these out by the handful, so the quantities are never exact. Even then I still lose some small bulbs to rot. I would switch your potting mix (maybe miracle grow has too much nitrogen fertilizer, and this could leave you with lush but weak growth), add some sand, and pumice if you can get it. Or try a mix of potting soil and cactus mix, which would probably have the same end result. If you have new Asiatic lily seeds then now would be the right time to start them... Hope this helps, Steve

thanks much steve,

i'm thinking you may have the answer. i mass sow them in flats (the seeds do very well germinating. i have many many just popping up now) then, one by one i move the seedlings to six pack cells. again they do well up to a point then die off a month or so later. they have been getting the full brunt of the weather and at times are probably overwatered. i will take your advice and see what happens. i have access to sand and i'm sure i can find pumice online. i'll also scrap the miracle grow. i'll keep them in filtered sun/shade.
what is your opinion regarding black plastic cells for seedlings?

i'm on my 5th year successfully germinating and growing day lily crosses. wish all lilies were so easy.............:)

thanks again
i'll let you know how thing work out.

glenn

Not sure what you mean by "first set" of leaves. A lily's first set of leaves is a single leaf. How many leaves do your seedlings have when you transplant?

Also, martagons and most oriental lilies don't send up a leaf at all in the first season of growth. In the first season, the seed germinates and produces a tiny bulb underground. Then in the second year they will produce a leaf.

leftwood,

apologies for lack of correct terminology. they send up a single thin leaf. not sure what the correct term is for a leaf at that stage..
and yes, i've germinated lily seed that first form a bulb and then the following year grow above ground. i was surprised when this occurred, thinking they weren't viable, then i found them sprouting the next year. these were asian lilies.
i transplant as soon as sprouting begins. less damage to the root.

Transplanting when sprouting begins....

If you mean when you first see the root (not the leaf) emerging from the seed, then yes, that's a good time to transplant. The seed will continue to concentrate on root growth and repair, before extending the leaf.

But if you are waiting for the leaf to emerge, that is a very stressful time, and I think this is your first problem. At this early stage, lilies just are not so resilient to root damage, like a tomato (or daylily) seedling, for instance. No matter how careful you are, you can't transplant without massive damage to such a tiny delicate lily root. Now the seed must try to maintain and repair the leaf and the root with very little reserve energy to draw from. At this time, it depends on the ability that it should have gained by that time to absorb nutrients through the roots and make energy from sunlight in the leaf to sustain itself. Alas, this is heavily curtailed, due to your intervention.

I am assuming you have some kind of a hood to keep humidity high after transplanting, so this would account for the deaths happening in the ensuing first week or perhaps a little longer. I would expect the soil moisture to be the problem as Steve mentions for later fatalities - likewise for any seeds that produce a bulb first and a leaf the next year (called delayed hypogeal germination -DH).

Martagons and most orientals are DH. Asiatics emerge the first season of germination. But sometimes, asiatics do wait a year, and complete the entire germination and sprouting process in the second year.

thanks folks for all your help. we'll see where this season brings me. i am going to implement all the tips given. hopefully i'll have a crop of robust healthy lily seedlings ready for winter.

BTW
it' actually lilium tenuifolium and a hybrid oriental that germinated a few days ago (or at least put out a root.) sorry about the vague info regarding actual plant.

again
thanks for the input

glenn

BTW
it' actually lilium tenuifolium

Lilium pumilum is accepted name.