By Seaburngirl
East Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Lily offshoots.
Over the years I have bought a few good sized lilies and 2 years ago for the first time I found lots of small offshoots. they were removed and potted up separately.
however they don't seem to get much bigger than 2cm diameter before they then split up into even more.
what am I doing wrong that is preventing them getting big enough to flower?
or what should I do to get them big enough to flower. they are the Asiatic ones and the hybrid longifolia one White American.
11 Jan, 2014
Answers
i suppose they are bulbils derek but I always thought they were found in the leaf axils on the stems. either way they just don't seem to get any bigger.
11 Jan, 2014
Some lilies produce stem bulbils in the leaf axils whilst others produce them at the base of the stem, Sbg. I consider them all to be the equivalent of 1st year seedlings, so they will take a few years to reach flowering size. I think that you just have to try and be patient for a little longer and they will eventually put on a growth spurt.
12 Jan, 2014
but you know me BA ..... patience maybe a virtue but I'm not that virtuous.
I just wondered why they were always dividing. perhaps I should pot them individually.
12 Jan, 2014
I've found that my Lilies do the same. I get lots of little bulbs around the main plants. They start off as bulbs about the size of a spring onions and then grow to about 10 inches high the following season with no flower heads. However, it takes about 4 years for them to eventually mature and produce flowers.
You can also dig up the parent Lilies and divide any larger bulbs that clump around the main plant bulb. These will grow quicker, usually the following season.
12 Jan, 2014
Hi Sbg, I've not heard of this method of propagation before, I have always thought it was seed, bulbils or scales from healthy bulbs, sorry can't help, Derek.
11 Jan, 2014