A question about Asiatic Lilies

[sparkles2307]

I have this lovely lily that I planted last summer. It only got 3 flowers last year, and produced a lovley eleven this year! Its pink on the edges and peach in the middle, I love it. ANYWAYS, my question is - how do Lilies propogate? Do they send up more than one stalk from the same bulb? Right now its only got the one stalk, and I am wondering if over time it will spread or if I need to find more of the same color to fill the little corner it occupies. I tried google, but this time I couldnt find what I needed, probably because I dont really know how to phrase the question into a one-liner for the google search engine! Thank goodness I have this great site to run to!

 

[vfem]

I do believe the multiply bulbs under the ground... and each fall when the lilies have fallen back to the ground you can dig up and split the bulb and replant those split bulbs elsewhere for more lilies the next year!

I know lilies also produce seeds, and if I can find my book on it... there are 3 total ways to grow from a lily.... the bulb splitting being the easiest way I know of.

 

[sparkles2307]

See I was wondering about the stalks because here in the city I work in there are some houses with lilies in the beds, and they have like 8-10 stalks all appearing to come out of the same point in the ground and then growing out in all directions like a pineapple top or something. I might try the bulb splitting but am hesitant because I have a delicate red lily that I transplanted from the ditch (native wlid lily) next to it and I dont want to disturb it as the stems this year dont seem very strong.

 

[vfem]

I think they tell you not to split bulbs until they have been in and growing for 2 seasons!?

Next fall (not this fall) I will split my tulip and calla lily bulbs.

 

[Natalie]

I split my lilies in the spring when they had only a few leaves up. All transplanted well and are blooming now, but I believe they are about 4-5 years old. The bulb things were huge. I pulled some apart by hand, some I chopped apart with a shovel.

I too have a question. I would like to add some new ones, is now the time to plant them? I saw some at the garden center and I would assume they would put them out when it's the right time. BTW, I'm in WI zone 4.