How to Propagate Easter Lilies

Easter lilies originated in Japan but have found a firm foothold in the U.S. These lilies grow very large trumpet-shaped creamy white blooms surrounded by lush green blade-shaped leaves. Like all lilies, they grow from bulbs and rebloom year after year. Because these plants quickly can outgrow their original planting site, it's important to divide and separate them regularly. An Easter lily's bulbs make this division and propagation of new plants quick and easy.

Quick-draining soil

Compost

Pruning shears

Spade

Knife

Choose a site for your new lilies and prepare it. When you're transplanting, don't keep bulbs out of the soil for very long. Find a site that gets full sun for six to eight hours every day, and has complete drainage. Never choose a site that sits in the shade or puddles, since lilies will drown and fail in standing water. Amend the site with a mixture of half compost and half quick-draining soil, to a depth of 8 inches.

Prune your established lily to help it conserve its resources during the division. Cut away damaged or finished blooms and dead foliage. Dig up the lily carefully to expose the bulbs, and pull it from the soil. Look for natural divisions in the root and bulb structure, where new bulbs are evident. Each new bulb should have its own set of roots and foliage. Use a knife or pruning shears to divide the bulbs at these points. Take about one-third of the established plant for the new planting.

Put the established lily back into its original site and pack the soil down around its bulbs and roots. Move the divided lily to the new site and plant it deeply enough that all its roots and bulbs are under the soil, and all its foliage is exposed above. Water both lilies with an inch of water to help them establish, then move to a standard watering schedule.