Propagate lilies from scales

Lily bulbs are composed of many scales that are attached to the basal plate, and by removing some of these in late summer, you can quickly increase your lilies. Dig up a healthy bulb and peel away any damaged outer scales, then snap off several scales close to the base of the bulb. Put them in a plastic zip-lock bag half-filled with a 50:50 mix of a peat-substitute compost and Perlite or Vermiculite and shake gently. Fill the top half of the bag with air, then seal it and leave in a dark, warm (21C/70F) place for six weeks. Once bulblets appear at the base of the scales, pot them up individually and lightly cover with compost.