Maximum Yield USA January 2018 | Page 108

beginner’s corner Top: Lily flower bud just prior to bloom opening. Bottom: Bold and bright flowers are characteristic of lilies. “If provided with sufficient warmth and light, most lilies will rapidly produce flower buds; time to flowering in many hybrids is just 95-120 days.” will rapidly produce flower buds; time to flowering in many hybrids is just 95-120 days. Lilies grown for cut flowers can be harvested as soon as the most advanced bud has developed color. Blooms should be placed into a solution of flower preservative to maintain vase life as long as possible. Take note that some varieties of lilies have a tendency to stretch and produce overly long stems during the growth and flowering phase. This is often aggravated by low light, high density, and shaded conditions with warm temperatures and long days. Ensuring each plant has sufficient space and good light levels is required, and selecting dwarf cultivars is often preferable where excessively tall plants need to be avoided. Lily Propagation While lilies can be propagated from seed, seed-raised plants won’t have the same characteristics as their parents since many of the cultivars grown hydroponically are hybrids. Plants raised from seed can also take many years to flower, meaning this method is generally only used by plant breeders. Lilies are best propagated vegetatively, 106 grow cycle which is relatively easy to carry out. As the plant matures, the lily bulb starts to produce “offsets,” or small bulbs that can be divided away from the main bulb and used as future planting mate- rial. Another method is to propagate from bulb “scales,” fleshy sections of the main bulb. The scales are snapped off as close to the base of the main bulb as possible, then the lower half is placed into a free-draining substrate such as sharp sand. After a few weeks under warm conditions, small bulblets begin to form on the scales. When these have developed roots, they can be gently removed and potted up for growing on. Lilies are a familiar cut flower or potted plant with a long history of cultivation and appreciation by many cultures. No matter if they are being grown as a crop of cut blooms for a special occa- sion or just an attractive dwarf potted plant, they are versatile, colorful, and often highly perfumed additions to an indoor garden. Selecting some of the latest hybrid bulbs, which are widely available in an ever-increasing range of colors and sizes, allows hydroponic growers to experience an amazing indoor-grown floral display.