hi folks,

it's been a while since my last questions regarding lily seedlings. i could never get my seedlings past the first year after germination. with the info provided last post i have successfully grown seedlings that are around two and a half years old.
the info received from my last post led me to place the seedlings in a forty degree or so chill for the winter. with spring approaching i now have trays of seedlings emerging after their winter chill.
so the question i have now is, do i transplant to the outside? i have a dedicated bed ready to go. it seems common sense to plant outside at this point and care for them until the bulbs mature. after so much time babying these guys, i just want to get all the info i can to ensure they survive. oh, these are martagons, tenuifolia, and trumpet lilies.
any advice that will help these guys thrive will be greatly appreciated.

happy spring folks....almost here!

glenn

For transplanting, it will depend on the size of the seedling. Martagons, probably not. I don't think about transplanting my marts into the garden until the fall season after they have produced a whorl of leaves (2-5 leaflets). This is usually in their second or third year of above ground growth.

At any rate, whether you transplant into the garden or keep them in pots, they will always prefer to be outside, where they can enjoy fluctuation day/night temperatures and far better light (even if they are in the shade). They will still need to acclimate from inside to outside conditions, and the earlier (with little or no foliage) is always easier. If they are just peaking out of the soil or not at all yet, minimum 32°F is OK, but if it goes below I would bring them in the garage. Your martagon seedlings will still be fine at 30°F.

thanks rick,
given your advice, i'll probably get them outside but let them remain in their individual pots until i see what they look like come fall.