Ok, I'm back! I had been reading about window sill culture for lilies. Then one night I was reading on a Lily Nook link about even using margerine tubs. I thought, gee--I don't have window sills--but I think I'd like to try it, just to see how I could make it work for me. After all, I could put these little tubs in a fridge over winter for their chill cycle--how nice!
So here we go: These were planted on May 26th.
Here they are getting a soak using a lid from a shoe box as a basin
Here they are inside an inverted shoe box cocked for venting just to show that it could be used as a mini hot house come November.
Connie recently mentioned that its been observed and suspected that crowded seedlings grow better for some reason yet unkown. I have also noticed that in the past. Well, take another look--there were about 15 seeds in each little tub. Consider that these weren't planted until May 26th, yet they are the same size or larger than than the others planted earlier. Just a coincidence? Maybe. It's only a sample of 4, and with lily seeds there are so many variables. But it does cause a person to wonder if there isn't something to it.
The little tubs are easy to manage in many respects in the beginning but now as the seedlings grow and become more demanding, they do require more attention. They dry out a lot faster.
I want to jump back to the pots for a minute. If you noticed I have skewer sticks in those too. I used empty shoe boxes for tops over my regular pots when I first brought them outside and those sticks held the tops up and allowed for air circulation. And the tops offered a little frost protection too.
Keep in mind now that what I'm showing you here, all takes place under a big old flowering crab tree in dapled shade on, around and under a huge magnum size picnic table--it works for me. Later on this year, I'll post some more photos on how I deal with the Fall and early Winter. And it won't be under this crab tree!
