How to Propagate Perennials for a Winter Climate

Dig up bulbs in the fall and winter for division. Wait until the plants finish blooming and enter dormancy. In cold areas, wait until frost kills off any remaining foliage and blooms. This division should coincide with winter storage for tender bulbs.

Brush all the soil off the bulbs and look for natural divisions in the root systems. Each division should have roots and growing buds. A single clump may have several such divisions.

Grasp different sections by the roots and twist them to break them apart. Cut stubborn bulbs with a sharp knife to divide them.

Move tulip and daffodil bulbs to new sites in any U.S. Department of Agriculture growing zone. These hardy bulbs will survive the winter season in any zone. Move iris, lily and calla lily bulbs to new sites in USDA Zone 9 to Zone 11. In colder zones, keep these bulbs in storage through the winter for protection. Wrap them in peat moss and put them in a box, or replant them in a box of topsoil. Store them in dark, cool areas.

Prepare new planting sites for bulbs that are going back into the ground. Choose areas with quick winter drainage and full sunshine, and give the bulbs variety-specific spacing. Dig into the top 6 to 10 inches of soil in the site and mix in 3 to 5 inches of organic compost to loosen and nourish the soil. Add bulb fertilizer or bone meal to the amended soil to encourage rooting and establishment. Plant the new bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, with the pointed ends up, and water them until the top 6 inches of soil is wet. Leave the bulbs for the winter.