From our perspective, the best time for you to undertake this propagation is during our dormant period. For most of us lily varieties, this is in the late fall, after our foliage has yellowed and died back, or in the early spring before we send up new shoots. During dormancy, our energy is stored entirely within our bulbs, making us less susceptible to the shock of being lifted from the soil and divided. Disturbing us during our active growth phase is highly stressful and can severely impact our ability to flower or even survive.
Begin by gently lifting our entire clump from the earth, taking care to keep the digging fork or spade a good distance from the main stem to avoid damaging our delicate bulbs. Shake or brush off the excess soil so you can see our structure clearly. You will notice that a single, original "mother" bulb has produced smaller, offset bulbs—our clones—around its base. These offsets, or bulblets, can be gently pulled away by hand or separated with a clean, sharp knife. Each of these possesses the complete genetic blueprint to grow into a mature, flowering plant identical to the parent.
For a greater number of new plants, you can propagate us from our individual scales. Carefully break off several of the larger, healthier outer scales from our bulb, ensuring each scale has a piece of the basal plate (the flat, woody part at the bottom where roots emerge) attached. This basal plate is crucial, as it contains the meristematic tissue needed to generate a new bulblet. This process feels like a minor injury, but it is a highly effective survival strategy for us to multiply.
After separation, the broken end of each scale needs to form a protective layer of tissue, called a callus. Place us scales in a plastic bag with a moist, sterile medium like vermiculite or peat moss. Store the bag in a warm, dark place for several weeks. During this time, the callus forms, preventing rot, and tiny new bulblets will begin to develop at the junction of the scale and the basal plate. This is our way of regenerating from a fragment, a testament to our resilience.
Whether you have divided offsets or nurtured scale-bulblets, we must be replanted promptly. Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil, as we despise having our bulbs sit in water. Plant us at a depth of about three times our height, spacing the new bulbs adequately to give us room to grow and multiply again in the coming seasons. With proper care, the offsets will flower in one to two years, while bulblets from scales may take an additional season to build up enough energy for their magnificent floral display.
