How to Grow Lily Turf

Lily turf (Liriope muscari), also commonly spelled "lilyturf," looks very much like an ornamental grass such as monkeygrass, but is actually part of the lily family. Gardeners use lily turf as bordering plants, ground cover and specimen vegetation. Furthermore, gardeners plant lily turf to contribute late summer whitish blue blooms in plant areas that have already gone into fall dormancy. To grow healthy lily turf, gardeners must follow the plant's growing requirements. Weed removal around the plant is imperative to prevent the lily turf from having to compete for the soil's nutrients.

Spade
Mulch
Herbicide
Lawn mower
Rake

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a planting hole that is twice the size of the lily turf's root ball and at the same depth as the plant was planted in its container. Lily turf grows best when planted next to a hard scape or vegetation barrier like grass that has a root system that penetrates 18 inches into the soil. Lily turf cannot tolerate foot traffic and should not be planted within the yard.
- 2
  Place the lily turf inside of the hole and pack soil around the base. Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart. Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch around the plants to keep weeds such as bermuda grass at bay.
- 3
  Spray perennial grassy weeds invading the lily turf's growing area with an herbicide that contains sethoxydim over the lily turf area. Sethoxydim controls perennial grassy weeds without harming lily turf plants.
- 4
  Set the lawn mower to its highest setting to mow lily turf each spring. Mowing lily turf each spring removes unsightly old growth. Push the lawn mower over the lily turf. Rake up clippings to prevent shading out the lily turf.
- 5
  Water lily turf during the growing season. Apply one inch of water each week in the morning. Late afternoon watering promotes diseases such as anthracnose.

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