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  • Can I Propagate Flower Bulbs?

    Created by Amanda on September 14, 2014 at 3:03 pm

    I planted a few bulbs this year that I bought and they started blooming. They are super tall plants with pink flowers that are blossoming on the stem, they kind of look like hosta flowers in the way they grow. I can’t remember the name of them because I don’t have the packaging anymore and, this is the first time I have had a garden outside that I can actually plant in. I moved from an apartment to a house so I was excited to try my hand at gardening. Anyways, I clipped them after I noticed that one had broken off. I clipped it on an angle and set it in a vase. I also did the same with the other stem that was on it, not wanting to loose it in potential frost. I was wondering, is it possible to root them somehow? Could I somehow get the flowering stems in the vase to root somehow and plant them in a pot until next year, or to bulb plants no root like that? I’m rather new to it all, and not sure what to do or what is possible. I remember using clear cups and paper towels in school with beans but, I don’t know if that’s an option or anything outside of beans in a small science experiment in grade school, lol. if I could get some answer on this, it would be awesome.

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  • September 17, 2014 at 10:34 am #151706

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Plants that grow from bulbs can be propagated by taking small offsets or bulblets from the base of the parent bulb. Place the bulblets in light, rich soil and let develop for 2 or 3 years. The same procedure used for propagating bulbs works for plants with corms.

    Another method that is popular for propagating nontunicate bulbs, such as lilies, is known as scaling. Pick a healthy bulb and trim off the old roots to prevent rot. Be careful not to damage the tough base of the bulb where the roots emerge called the basal plate.

    Gently peel several of the outside scales away from the main bulb. Each segment should have part of the basal plate so new roots can grow. Toss out any pieces that do not have a basal plate.

    Put the scales into a bag of moist, but not wet, vermiculite. Use a ratio of 4 parts vermiculite per scale. Leaving some air in the bag, seal it up and put it somewhere with a temperature of about 70°F. If you choose to use a fungicide, dust the scales before inserting them into the bag.

    Check regularly for rot, and after 8-10 weeks tiny bulblets should be noticed at the base of the scales. Plant the scales 1/2-inch deep in a container filled with organic potting soil. Keep the plants in a warm, bright spot and make sure the soil stays moist. New leaves will shoot up in the spring. When these leaves die back at the end of the growing season, separate and replant the new bulbs.

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