Any ideas why my Stargazer lily is not reproducing?

[MaryMary]

Three years ago I bought a package of three Stargazer lily bulbs. The packaging had me pretty excited, it claimed, "Can grow up to 20 new bulbs in a single year!!" I accepted before I even bought them that there was a bit of hype there.
(I'd have been happy with two bulbs a year.)

They bloomed the first year I planted them. One of them even had two flowers on it!

Here I am three years later, and I still have the original three plants. There are NO new lilies at all! I did a little research to see what I can do, and I found a site which said,

"If you want to greatly increase your numbers of bulbs rapidly you can remove the flower head before it has developed. This will put all the energy that would have gone to the flowers back into the plant and more numerous and larger bulblets will be developed."

I'm willing to try it. I love the flowers, but I have three plants. If one of them has no flowers this year, I'll still have the other two to look at, and maybe I'll have more bulbs next year. Here is a picture of the weakest of the three. It has two flower heads on it. Are they too big to remove at this point? (I'm also thinking that if it doesn't make it reproduce, it might be better for the overall health of this one to go a year without blooming.)

Any ideas?

 

[Novelangel]

I've always had trouble with the concept of removing the healthy flower heads. I just can't make myself do it. However, I guess if I were desperate I'd force myself to do it. I did a little research into your situation and it appears that these lilies like to have their tops in the sunshine and their bottoms in the shade... whatever that means and they also like well-drained, loamy soil, which consists of 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay. Also, since this lily is a hybrid plant, it may be more difficult to reproduce it. My mom is always telling me that hybrid plants won't always reproduce true if they do so at all. For example, I wanted to plant the seeds of a hybrid pepper plant and she told me they would probably grow, but would likely not produce any peppers. I still haven't gotten around to planting them yet, but my mom has been gardening forever, so I guess she knows what she's talking about. I hope some of this helps you and I hope someone else might have more and better ideas for you as well.

 

[MaryMary]

@Novelangel, I removed one of the flower heads, but couldn't bring myself to take off both of them. Thankfully, the strong one has 5 flowers coming on!!

Tops in the sunshine, and bottoms in the shade...hmm. They're in the flower bed, which only gets full sun until about noon. Maybe they are not getting enough sun.

I have shorter plants growing around them, so their feet are definitely shaded!!

 

[Novelangel]

@Novelangel, I removed one of the flower heads, but couldn't bring myself to take off both of them. Thankfully, the strong one has 5 flowers coming on!!

Tops in the sunshine, and bottoms in the shade...hmm. They're in the flower bed, which only gets full sun until about noon. Maybe they are not getting enough sun.

I have shorter plants growing around them, so their feet are definitely shaded!!

It sure can be hard sometimes to figure out what certain plants want from you. Some plants will thrive no matter what silly thing you do with them and others will wilt and die if you so much as look at them cross-eyed. Constantly having to dig up your flowers to replant them someplace sunnier, or shadier, or mulch-ier, or whatever can hurt the plant too. Now if our plants could just speak to us... that might help.

 

[Lynn248]

Grrr!!! I'm having issues with mine as well. I just bought and planted them this year, they have yet to bloom but they are FILLED with buds. My problem is the leaves were falling off. I think it finally stopped but I don't know if the flowers will open now?

I was told I was overwatering, so I've since stooed until the soils is very dry.
I also read recently they like a certain acidity. I need to get a ph tester.

These have such potential to be amazing...

 

[Novelangel]

Those plants look beautiful, Lynn. I don't know why they dropped their leaves, but it could possibly have something to do with the transplantation process. Sometimes plants will look a little droopy, or wilted for a day or two after being planted. Some might even drop a scary amount of leaves before fully recovering from the trauma of being removed from whatever pot they were originally in and placed into your soil. This is kind of like being transported to an alien world for them, if that helps define it better. You didn't state whether you planted them in plant form or in bulb form, but judging from the amount of growth I want to think they were already sprouted. The soil looks wonderful too... nice and dark and rich. Loamy, in other words, which is what these guys like. Who knows? You might have a delightful crop of new bulbs from these plantings.

 

[Lynn248]

Those plants look beautiful, Lynn. I don't know why they dropped their leaves, but it could possibly have something to do with the transplantation process. Sometimes plants will look a little droopy, or wilted for a day or two after being planted. Some might even drop a scary amount of leaves before fully recovering from the trauma of being removed from whatever pot they were originally in and placed into your soil. This is kind of like being transported to an alien world for them, if that helps define it better. You didn't state whether you planted them in plant form or in bulb form, but judging from the amount of growth I want to think they were already sprouted. The soil looks wonderful too... nice and dark and rich. Loamy, in other words, which is what these guys like. Who knows? You might have a delightful crop of new bulbs from these plantings.

Thanks . I was about to move them, maybe I'll wait.
Yes, I bought them sprouted . It seems thing have calmed down as not too many leaves have fallen This week
I sure hope they bloom, they are such beautiful plants

 

[Lynn248]

I was so excited when I seen this today...

 

[MaryMary]

@Lynn248, your plants look bushier than mine are. About how many hours of sunshine do they get? Maybe I should move mine to a sunnier spot?

 

[Lynn248]

@Lynn248, your plants look bushier than mine are. About how many hours of sunshine do they get? Maybe I should move mine to a sunnier spot?

At least 5 maybe more - they are in full sun.

 

[Lynn248]

Finally!!!

 

[MaryMary]

Finally!!!

Beautiful!!

 

[Lynn248]

Beautiful!!

How much sun does yours get?

 

[Novelangel]

I was so excited when I seen this today...View attachment 13983

Wonderful! I'm glad they are finally blooming for you. It's so exciting when a plant you've slaved over for weeks and weeks finally responds to your tender loving care. Sometimes it just takes a little while, I guess. It's like me when my banana tree shoots out a new leaf. I'm like, "yay, little 'nanner, you're moving on up in the world." hehe. That plant and my orange tree are spoiled rotten, but I enjoy them.

 

[Lynn248]

Wonderful! I'm glad they are finally blooming for you. It's so exciting when a plant you've slaved over for weeks and weeks finally responds to your tender loving care. Sometimes it just takes a little while, I guess. It's like me when my banana tree shoots out a new leaf. I'm like, "yay, little 'nanner, you're moving on up in the world." hehe. That plant and my orange tree are spoiled rotten, but I enjoy them.

Yes exactly!!! It's rewarding to see them bloom