I received a lily for mother's day and it was beautiful. However, I don't know much about them. I planted it into a big pot and it bloomed for several weeks. I have it on a shaded front porch that only gets the early morning and a little late afternoon sun. Now there are pods on the stems, are these seeds and what do I need to do? Help

Hi leliah

We just posted today a really nice tutorial on growing lilies. Check it out here:

http://garden.org/ideas/view/m...

I'm not sure about the pods on the stems, though.

Welcome to ATP!

I'm just guessing, but I guess that your best chance of reproducing that exact lily is better if you pamper the bulb or roots for a few years until they get spread and get big enough to divide the roots.

If there are multiple bulbs, each bulb can be a new plant. If it has big thick roots (rhizomes), those can probably be divided into a new plant. Multiplying it that way assures you will get more of the same plant.

Propagating that way might take 1-3 years of good growing conditions, including a big pot and good aeration and perhaps fertilization, or growing "in the ground" with suitable soil.

Some lilies are "self-infertile" so the seeds in the pods MIGHT not be viable.

Even if they are viable seeds, they MIGHT not come true to their parents: you might get a wide variety of offspring plants, none as fancy as the parent.

That's about all I can suggest. If anyone else suggests something that contradicts what I've guessed, trust them! I'm going mstly from reading and hearsay.

So I guess from the lily forum I need to pick the seed pods off, but can they be planted to grow more lilies?

Hi Leliah and welcome to ATP! It isn't likely that those pods have viable seeds unless you or close neighbors are also growing the same type of lily (in this case Asiatic lily) that would provide pollen. I would remove the pods. Your lily is now resting for the rest of the season. Decide whether you want to replant it in the garden or continue growing it in a container. Either way fall is the best time to transplant it. A container of at least two gallons will give it some room to produce more bulbs so if you think your container is big enough then leave it there.

You might find some small bulbs growing on the stem just above the bulb but below the soil surface. These can be gently removed and replanted elsewhere if you like.

Pard, Leilah could possibly be talking about 'stem bulbils'

Does Tango Passion series get stem bulbils? If they are bulbils they can be planted. Now we need a good photo!