First forgive me if this is already discussed. I'm having eye trouble so I can't read thru several posts lately.

These very often appear on or just under the surface. I assume it is a reproductive mechanism. What do I do with them?

You can plant them anywhere you like! They will be clones of the mother bulb. If you want a group, leave them be and they will multiply.

Thank you. Should I cover them until the ground thaws and they can be planted deeper?

Yes, the less exposed to winter chills and dry air the better they will do.

Plus, little rodents like mice will chew on them if the find them. I just cover mine with a little more soil or mulch when I see them.

we have nearly 200 mature lily bulbs of just about every variety in our yard. hence, we end up with hundreds of these little bulblets every fall when we divide. we don't save all of them, but we do save the bigger ones. we have two very large cedar boxes that these bulblets go into for a year or two until they become big enough to be considered, "mature". then we either keep them for our yard or simply give them away. takes a few years to get to that point, but if you do it every year and rotate your stock, you will have a constant supply!

What do you do with them in the box ?

Let them grow in a box or nursery bed for a year or so. They are so small with grass like foliage that you could easily think they are weed seedlings and yank them out.

javaMom said:What do you do with them in the box ?

We leave them be! haha, we just let them do their thing for a few years. fertilize them like any other plant and in a few years the bigger ones are big enough to actually do something with. which Is usually gifted to family, friends or neighbors.