How to Replant Lilies

Lilies produce hardy bulbs that survive in the garden over winter in their dormant state. The bulbs send up foliage in spring and the plants flower throughout summer. The bulbs reproduce under the soil surface each year, growing a cluster of smaller bulbs attached to the main bulbs. The new bulbs eventually crowd the lily bed, causing the plants to compete for moisture and nutrients. This competition eventually causes weaker growth and flowering. Digging, dividing and replanting the lily bulbs every three years keeps the plants healthy and the bed manageable.

Garden fork
Water hose
Trowel
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Dig around the bulbs with a garden fork to loosen the soil. Lift the clusters of lily bulbs out of the soil.
- 2
  Spray the bulbs with water from a garden hose, rinsing off the soil. Cut back the stem to within 1 to 2 inches of the bulb.
- 3
  Break apart attached bulbs. Save plump, healthy bulbs for replanting and discard damaged or soft, rotting bulbs.
- 4
  Plant the bulbs, pointed side up, in a full sun bed that drains well. Set full-size bulbs with the top 6 inches beneath the soil surface. Sow the smaller new bulbs, typically half the size of a mature bulb, 2 inches deep.
- 5
  Water the bed after replanting the bulbs. Cover the bed with a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to help provide soil insulation over the winter months.

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Bulbs