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Oriental Lilly bulbs

strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
in Plants
So I picked up a lot of oriental lilly bulbs, all ultra cheap special offer because of the timing. They're all in the dry coir packaging media. 

Thoughts on what I should do please?

I could keep them in the packaging in the dark, but not sure if they'll make it through until September for planting, especially if we have a hot summer.

I could plant them now, but I've totally missed the planting window so I'm not sure if that'll cause more problems.

Or I could do something else, repack them, etc. 

What I couldn't do is pass up an offer, so if they don't survive I'll live with it, as they were so cheap it's worth the chance...

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Plant them now.  They will probably still shoot and produce leaves to feed the bulb for next year.  In storage they will just slowly dry out and die.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Thanks @BobTheGardener . Now, just need to find 4 million pots for them. Fingers crossed they survive.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Definitely plant them. 
    I bought some many years ago, quite sad and dried up but they were going for pennies. Late May or so. They were all planted up in pots and left to get on with it. 
    I'm overrun with them now.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Thank you @Fairygirl and @BobTheGardener. They were indeed sad, shriveled and looking pretty unhappy (but then so would you be if you sat on a shelf in a hot store for 3 months too long!). 

    They're all in pots now, let's see if any survive. Thanks for the advice!
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    @BobTheGardener @Fairygirl   Aaaaaaaaand we have some success! I was starting to lose hope but then today I see this first sign!  :)


  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Excellent news!  If any bulbs don't send up shoots this year, they may still produce roots and go dormant until next spring so worth hanging on to.  :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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