How Are Water Lilies Split?

Dividing water lilies is a crucial process that can be done in various ways. Hardy water lilies grow quickly and spread abundantly, and they should be divided and transplanted every 2 to 3 years. Tropical water lilies need dividing when blooming ceases in very warm weather. Healthy water lilies can grow rapidly, with up to 25 new plants from one large rootball. For a small fee, you can bring your lily or lilies to a nursery where they can be divided, repotted, and given fertilizer to jumpstart their growth.

Dividing water lilies can be expensive but can be done quickly and easily by using aquatic soil or clay-sand mix. Fertilizing your water lilies and avoiding overcrowding are essential tips for maintaining a healthy stock. Divide lily bulbs in the fall for more vigorous blooms, and learn when to move lilies, how to separate and plant them, and how to mulch them for winter.

The best time to divide a water lily is spring or early summer before the flowering season. Learn about choosing, planting, and caring for waterlilies, a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants with flat, plate-like leaves and colorful flowers. Choose the best types, varieties, and tips for growing waterlilies in ponds of different sizes.

In this video, Lora shows you how to divide a water lily and replant it, including choosing a good section of tuber to replant and how to place it back into the pond. Before the flowering season, lift the basket of water lilies out of the water and rest it on plastic sheeting.

To divide a miniature water lily, follow these steps: lift the basket out of the pond when you see growth beginning in spring, use hard rhizome only, carefully lift the pot(s) out of the water, remove them from the pond, and locate the tuber.