Planting Crinum Lily Seeds

Question:
“Hi Michael,

I went to a family reunion in the country and old church. Well, the dark pink crinum lily was blooming, and some had set seed. I took the seeds home, and some had sprouted a root. I want to know how to plant, and will a bulb develop?

Thanks, Joan”

Answer:
Hello, Joan.

Thanks for writing in. Yes, you can plant the crinum seed pods and they will develop into bulbs in several years and into blooming bulbs in about 5 years.

Plant the seeds in moist soil just on top of or pushed a little into the soil. The key is to keep the soil moist and warm. Some people will pot them in a small pot, water, then enclose the pot in a large zip-lock bag to increase germination. Doing this gives a greenhouse effect to jump-start the seed pods. Be careful not to over-water and make sure the pot has good drainage. After several weeks, the seeds should have actively set out a shoot that will search for the ground. That shoot will go back into the soil and put out roots. Four to six weeks after that, you should be looking for small green shoots above the soil.

Potting the seeds gives you a little more control over the seeds’ environment, but planting in the ground should also yield good results and has a long-term advantage. The long-term advantage is that the seeds will be growing in the soil they will be in for years to come when planted in the ground. When you pot a good number of seeds, at some point, you’ll need to remove them from the pot and move them into a larger growing space to accommodate large, blooming size bulbs. One strategy is to start with the pot for 2-3 years, then transfer the bulbs (along with their potting soil) into the ground before the bulbs become so large that you would need to perform major separation of bulbs and root growth. Major separation and replanting of mature bulbs and roots could cause the crinum to require 2-3 years before blooming in a new planting space. I would suggest potting for the first 2-3 years, then transplant the small bulbs with their potting soil into a new, larger location for blooming and future performance.

Potting the seeds gives you a little more control over the seeds’ environment, but planting in the ground should also yield good results and has a long-term advantage. The long-term advantage is that the seeds will be growing in the soil they will be in for years to come when planted in the ground. When you pot a good number of seeds, at some point, you’ll need to remove them from the pot and move them into a larger growing space to accommodate large, blooming size bulbs. One strategy is to start with the pot for 2-3 years, then transfer the bulbs (along with their potting soil) into the ground before the bulbs become so large that you would need to perform major separation of bulbs and root growth. Major separation and replanting of mature bulbs and roots could cause the crinum to require 2-3 years before blooming in a new planting space. I would suggest potting for the first 2-3 years, then transplant the small bulbs with their potting soil into a new, larger location for blooming and future performance.

You’ll also want to consider how many seeds to put in a pot or in the ground. It would be a good idea to plant several large seed pods per one-gallon pot.

Thanks again for writing and let us know if we can help in any other way!

Best regards,
Michael