How to Transplant Lilium
- 1). Wait until the first fall frost or the lily's leaves and stems naturally wither and begin to yellow in autumn before planning to transplant. Disturbing lilies with green foliage and flowers disrupts food-making and can affect how well the plants survive the winter and time their flowering the next year.
- 2). Slice a garden shovel into the soil about 6 to 8 inches away from the lily stem bases. Pierce downward into the soil to a depth of 6 to 12 inches. Make a circular cut into the soil all around the lily to be transplanted before attempting to apply upward leverage to lift the lily plant or bulbs.
- 3). Lift the lily plant with the shovel by prying up the root ball and rolling it up onto the ground. If there is a lot of resistance to lifting the soil and root mass up, you didn't slice deeply enough in Step 2 to sever all roots emanating from the lily bulbs.
- 4). Relocate the root ball of the lifted lily to the new garden location. If you don't wish to divide the bulbs and make new plants, dig a planting hole that matches the size of the root ball. You want to plant the lily at the same depth in the planting hole as it previously grew: match the root ball's top with the top rim of the planting hole.
- 5). Break apart the root ball with your hands or the shovel blade carefully to expose the fleshy scaled lily bulbs. As you break up the root ball, take care to not pierce or bruise the bulbs. You'll find large bulbs with the stems still attaches as well as smaller side "bulblets" growing at the side base of the larger lily bulbs. Break apart the largest bulbs to create multiple clumps for replanting in the garden.
- 6). Dig new planting holes for the lily bulbs you divided. If possible, use the soil stains on the stems of the lily plants to help guide you to how deep you need to replant them. Match the dirt line on the stems of the large bulbs with the top of the planting hole. Otherwise, plant the lily bulbs in a hole with a bottom that is between 6 and 9 inches deep. Use a measuring stick to help you plant the bulbs all at the same depth.
- 7). Replace the garden soil atop the newly planted lily bulbs and tamp the soil down gently to remove air pockets, but don't use your foot as it may compact the soil too much. Break up any soil clumps before putting that soil over the bulbs.
- 8). Apply 2 to 4 inches of water over the bulbs with a garden hose or sprinkling can. This watering settles the soil and brings soil particles in direct contact with the bulbs. If the soil is already quite moist or rain is expected within 24 hours, don't bother with the watering.
- 9). Cut off the yellow, withering stems of the transplanted lilies with a hand pruners. Cut them so only 1 to 5 inch stubs remain above the soil. Alternatively, you can allow the stems to remain and wither over the winter and remove them in early spring if they are still upright in the ground.