How to Plant Lilium Longiflorum From Scales

Trim the stem off of the top of the lily. Knock the lily bulb out of its growing pot and shake off all the dirt. If you have planted the lily outside, carefully dig it up with a shovel and remove any soil clinging to the bulb. Inspect the bulb before proceeding; use only healthy, firm bulbs for propagation.

Remove the outer scales from the lily bulb. Gently peel them away from the base of the bulb like you would an artichoke leaf. You can remove up to half the scales of the bulb without damaging it, according to plant expert James Underwood Crockett.

Clean any remaining dirt off the scales, then dust them with a fungicide or dip them in a solution of one part household bleach to ten parts water. Allow the scales to air dry completely.

Add water to the perlite, vermiculite or sphagnum moss until it is damp but not wet. Fill a plastic bag two-thirds full with the dampened medium.

Place the dried scales into the bag and shake gently to cover the scales. Close the bag so it's airtight. Store the bag at room temperature, approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check the bag in six to eight weeks. A small bulblet and roots should have grown at the bottom of each scale. Discard any scales that have shriveled or rotted.

Store the plastic bag with the medium and rooted scales in the refrigerator, not the freezer, for two months.

Remove the scales from the bag after two months and pot up each plant into its own small pot or into a nursery bed in the garden. The bulblets should be placed 1 inch under the soil line. The scale will eventually wither away.