In late September and early October, when the leaves of the lily of the valley begin to die, you need to dig a few sprouts (with a piece of rhizome and lobe roots on it).
For early flowering, shoots with a blunt apex with a diameter of at least 0.5 cm should be selected. In such shoots, there must be a flower bud.
Sprouts folded in a bundle and placed in a plastic bag or flower pot, shifting with wet moss or peat mixed with sand. Pot without closing, put in a cold dark place - in the cellar, cellar or refrigerator. The temperature during storage should be + 2-5 degrees.
20-25 days before the planned flowering period, shoots must be planted in pots. If you do this from 1 to 5 December, then you will have blossoming lilies of the valley just in time for the New Year. Usually the average term of forcing is within 25-30 days.
Lilies of the valley can be planted in wet sphagnum moss or prepare a light soil mixture from a small amount of peat mixed with sheet earth or sand. Before planting plants in pots, they are recommended to arrange a warm bath (+ 25-30 degrees.) - place the sprouts in a container with water roots up (they should not be in water). Such a thermal bath for 12-15 hours will allow the plant to leave the state of rest.
In a pot with a diameter of 15 cm and the same height can be planted from 6 to 10 sprouts. For better germination, the roots should be partially cut.
Planted sprouts need to be well watered and covered from above with a thin layer of moss, peat or damp paper. The first two weeks to keep in a dark and warm place (+ 25-30 degrees.). An important condition is high humidity. Therefore, it is better to place the container in a large plastic bag and loosely tie it. Saplings need to be watered regularly (only with warm water): once the shoots begin to grow, the top layer of the shelter should be carefully cleaned and put the pot into the light. At this time, too, should be high humidity, so the sprouts should be sprinkled with warm water or covered with a transparent hood, creating a kind of mini-greenhouse. For example, for this purpose, a three- or five-liter tank from drinking water is excellent, which must first be cut off the bottom. The best temperature at this time is +20 deg. After the emergence of buds, spraying should be stopped, but watered regularly. In the morning and evening hours, the plants should preferably be lightened. This will accelerate the flowering, and the peduncles will be more durable.