Sprouting mail order lilies

Question

I just received a box of lily bulbs from a mail order company. Sent to me at the proper planting time for my zone. My question is how to plant them. They have begun to grow…a lot. The bulb has about 4-6 inches of delicate growth coming out the top. It’s in a plastic bag with some soil and most of them have about 3-4″ of roots. Not new root growth though. I have gathered from reading posts that I should plant them asap. And if I understand correctly, they still need to be planted 4-6″ below the soil line careful not to damage the new growth. My question is, how do I plant the bulb. Meaning what direction should I place the bulb? Because the new shoot is growing crooked. Let me explain. If the bulb base with roots is in typical position, the sprouting part is normally at 12:00 so to speak. But with several of these bulbs, the sprout is facing 3:00 on a couple and one of them is facing 6:00. My guess is they were growing toward a heat source, which in most cases means up and out of the ground. So I cannot plant them the normal way. Should I lay them on their side or plant them as normal and hope for the best?

Answer 1

All you need to do is put them in the ground with the growth pointing up as much as possible. The crooked growth will correct itself as the plant grows.

This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/lily/how-to-grow-lilies.htm