Every year I "fool around" with my tiger lily bulbils. For the most part, I tend to throw them where I want them to sprout as if they'd fallen there naturally.

I've also potted some just to easily keep track of them, sinking the pot in a sheltered spot to transplant later. I've transplanted them in little clumps rather than trying to deal with each individual sprout because the bulb is quite small and the sprouting leaf goes floppy - they'll survive and push eachother out of the way as the bulbs grow so don't go out of your way to give them what you think might be proper spacing. We're in to March and you're in zone 8 so if your soil is workable you could probably put them out now. But you won't be doing them any harm leaving them in their pots as long as you're not watering much if at all.

The first year there will be one leaf. The second and third they'll get some size to them although seemingly slender and spindly (they're remarkably hardy and resiliant) and possibly even start producing bulbils in the axels -3rd year generally. Occasionally I've even gotten a miniature bloom or two. After that, they'll take off.

I love tiger lilies, they're just so reliable, and probably much overlooked now in the world of more elegant lilies. I like them thrown about randomly in my large patch of ostrich ferns (which grow in full sun for me). Big arching fern fronds overtopped with lily candelabra is an attention grabber.

Thanks for responding- I guess then that I will leave them in the pots for this year and tranplant next year for more room. I'd really rather not handle them yet since they are so small. They seem very healthy so I will just leave them alone for now.
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