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phyl345

i thought this would be easy ....(2 pic)

phyl345
16 years ago

these were planted 3 yrs. ago ('cote d' azure') ... they are gorgeous & very healthy ... however, they are now very overcrowded ... so ...

i have never divided lilies, and was not expecting to find such complicated stuff on the roots!!! now, i can understand that those little bulb thingys would get taken off ... but what the heck do i do with the rest of it? ... it looks like they should be cut ... but it looks like that could be in several places where roots are growing out ... HELP!!!

why are they segmented like that? ... *if* each segment will become another plant (plus all those tiny bulbs) i will have a bazillion plants from my original 3 pots!! they were $8 per pot with 3 stalks in ea.

{{gwi:1039485}}

Comments (5)

  • duluthinbloomz4
    16 years ago

    Okay - basing my strategy on the second picture, you've got 6 major bulbs and stems. The little bulblets that have formed and produced their own roots along the stalks should come away easily and will probably be blooming size in maybe 2 seasons from now.

    Don't cut the six big bulbs apart, the individual bulbs themselved don't need dividing no matter how large they might get - and over time they'll just keep producing nmore and more bulbs/bulblets just as you see now.

    Plant them all 6" deep - the tip of the bulb, below where the stem begins, should be 6" under the soil line. Leave the stems intact, if possible, when transplanting, and they will continue to feed the bulbs. When they're brown and woody you can cut the stalks down. I like to leave an inch or two above the ground just so I know where they are and I don't plant or accidentally dig over them.

    The bigger bulbs will likely put out multiple stems next season - and your lilies will continue to increase and every few years you can separate them again.

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    16 years ago

    Good advice from duluthinbloomz, but next time they need dividing wait until the stems and leaves have browned before you dig them.

  • phyl345
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    oh, that was FUN! ... still not 100 per cent sure i did it right tho ... after taking off the stuff above the origingal bulbs (while leaving the stalks & original bulbs in place) is this what i am supposed to have left: original bulb, empty space on stalk, clusters of roots, then a little more empty space, then again clusters of roots (?) ... lordy, i am finding this hard to describe! ... does this make sense to anyone? ... thanks so much ...

    also, what should i do with all the tiny bulbs? can i put them right in the ground? should i dig a pot *into* the ground and put the bulbs there?... with potting mix or?

    p.s. the weather in chicago has been incredibly gorgeous of late ... I AM LOVING IT ... phyl

  • duluthinbloomz4
    16 years ago

    Those extra root clusters growing around the stalk seem to help anchor the plant in the ground and that's where a lot if the little bulbs start to form. Okay to leave the extra root clusters in place when you plant them again... where the stems turn from green to white shows you the part of the plant that was under the soil for the last 3 years.

    Plant the little bulbs 6" deep in the ground as well - no need to pot them up; when they sprout next spring, they definitely find their way up to the surface. Plant them and mark where they are - just so you know. Lily bulbs can be forgiving; as they grow they seem to be able to pull themselves down to the depth they want to be so erring in planting a little on the shallow side doesn't seem to harm them.

  • phyl345
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    they are all planted! ... i am still quite amazed that for my original $24 i could end up with a bazillion plants!!! i had absolutely nooooo idea all that stuff was going to be under the ground when i dug them up (grin)

    seriously, will *most* of those tiny bulbs turn into plants? yikes! thank you again for the help, it is much appreciated ... phyl

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