Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
shabba_gw

Can I devide lilies this late?

shabba
14 years ago

A neighbor just offered to let me have some of his beautiful lilies if I want to dig them.

Question is can it be done this late in the season? I don't want to run the chance of damaging the mother bulb and him not getting flowers next year.

Also, if its OK to dig them do I replant the bulbs now in my garden?

Comments (8)

  • pitimpinai
    14 years ago

    They can be dug up and replanted now.
    The question is how would you know where the mother bulbs are and that you are digging up only the offsprings?

  • shabba
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Good point. Guess I'll wait until next fall

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    14 years ago

    Can you still see the stems above ground? As long as you have a stem to follow down you still can.

    When I want to keep the original in its location I dig up the whole colony.
    I donÂt trust myself to remove the babies without damaging the mother without having the whole thing out of the ground to separate carefully.

    I carefully remove the dirt around the stems with a hand trowel to find out how large the bulb cluster is first. Think "digging" like an archeologist: removing in layers. Once I know how big that ball is, then I can get out the pitchfork.

    I separate the bulbs, put the biggest one back, then take the smaller ones to move elsewhere.

  • meolongxu87
    14 years ago

    Why would you like to wait until next fall...!! If I were you I'd like to have some of those baby now! j/k
    I think hand digging handle the problem right? you dig out the top layer of the soil and then use your hand to take out the soil until you can feel the bulb. Don't lilies usually have stems that maybe still in the ground, use that to locate your lily bulbs and dig them all out to replant them later like linnea56 suggested....Happy lily growing!

  • shabba
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Going to take a look tomorrow to see if there are any stems

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    14 years ago

    All you need is a stump you can follow down. When I cut mine down I always leave about 2" of stem, mostly so I know where they are next spring. If you leave it longer it is more likely to break off below ground, and then you can't find it.

  • shabba
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Mission accomplished. I was able to retrieve a few good size bulbs with roots. All were replanted right away. I do have a question about the white "scales" that were on the mother bulb. Will these also grow or do they need more time attached to the bulb to mature?

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    14 years ago

    Do you mean you have some loose scales that became detached? Each scale can become a new bulb, but it will take a long time. Some people actually remove a few spare scales and stimulate them to make new bulbs faster, but it seems like a lot of work to me, and I have never done it. If you do a search for "scaling lilies" you will find instructions. There is actually a nice tutorial online with pictures. Maybe some one else here can give you more info.

    When I have loose scales I just tuck them into the ground, a few inches away, and leave it to mother nature. A few weeks ago I was disturbing the ground (I seem to do that a lot) around a cluster of established Black Beauty lilies, while tucking in a few daffodils. I found a scale that had reproduced and was now a teeny cluster of scales with roots, no bigger than a fingernail. I must have broken off a scale at some earlier time, tucked it in, and it was expanding. I am assuming this would take a long time to bloom, but that probably depends on variety.