lilies

[vicki]

Hello everyone,
I'm from Western Michigan. I think that these message boards (mike's & yours), are so cool. My husband, Jeff and I have been in the firewood & logging business for 16 yrs. So I know what working for yourself is all about.
I have been creating my own little slice of paradise for the past 5 yrs. or so. It was just an open field, still is in the back but the front is looking very nice. I currently have Forsythia, spirea, wieglea, burning bush, redtwig dogwood, flowering plum, golden privet,(all in need of pruning!) common lilac, lots of lilies, hostas, blanketflowers, coneflowers, flax, and others. After reading Mike's article in Mother Earth News, Nov.2000 (it was an old issue, from my friend.) I have been able to think of little else, and have been very busy. The only shade I have is in the front, so I've been putting in a bed 12' x 40'. With a 2 ft. path between. We have sandy soil with about 8 inches of good black topsoil. I've removed the sod and plan on adding coarse sand on top for use as my cutting beds.
My friend was moving and she gave me her plants, (she's not really into gardening, & nowhere to put them). So I dug up her 5 nice sized hostas, and made about 125 plants! Some were just roots, but are now coming up with 3 or so leaves each! My 8 yr. son helped me and he was really amazed when they popped up.
I also did one of my yellow lilies, and made about 40 plants!
My question is will the roots of the lilies (with the little bulby thingy, don't know what to call them) grow? I currently have them in a tray with moist mulch over them. Any help would be much appreciated!

Happy growing,
Vicki in West. Mich.

[Ann B.]

Vicki,

Thanks for posting this question. I get asked that question a lot because of the section on root cuttings (Stokes Aster). Not all plants will grow from root cuttings. I wish I had a complete list, but I don't.

Hostas and day lilies will not normally grow new plants from their fleshy roots unless they have at least the beginning of an eye similar to the ones pictured on the iris rhizomes. If the eye is just barely formed, you may have a difficult time recognizing it. The smaller eyes have less chance of developing into a new plant if separated from the mother plant too soon as they use food from the mother to develop.

You may get lucky, though, so I wouldn't trash them if you have the space to try.

Good Luck, and let us know!

[Kathypat]

Two clumps of hosta from a neighbor is what started me on my way to a full fleged business. I divided them and threw all the root cuttings that were left into a plie of leaf mulch behind my shed. guess what? I now have some very pretty Hosta growing behind the shed!

I've grown lots of lilies from root divisions and sometimes the roots will sprout too. If they have little feeder roots you can usually get them to sprout. They take longer than the larger ones but will usually come up.

You guys will have to excuse my spelling. If it weren't for spell check, I'd never sell any of my written work. :o

[Kathy in GA]

Hi there,

Kathy, I'm so glad you told us the story about the neighbors hosta, and throwing the roots in the compost pile.

For a few months now, I've been giving people advice on hostas. But never heard how anyone has done with them. From everything that I've heard and read they have to have a leaf or an eye. But in my case this is not so.

I dug up my hostas, and cutt off some very fleshy roots, about 2 inches long and plant them back in the same flower bed. Wait a couple of weeks, and I have a new hosta. Some of them I do have in pots too.
I was trying to see which method worked the best. In the ground or container.
I've done other expirements with the hostas, but did fail to keep the expirements going. Got busy doing cuttings!!!!!

Must be something about our name I guess!
Well, I'm glad you posted, now others will know they really can grow this way!
Have Fun!
Kathy in Ga.