Water Gardens & Features Q & A Q: How do you split water lilies?
A: Whether they’re hardy, tropical, day or night bloomer, water
lilies beautify decorative backyard ponds. Their vivid colors
add a dash of drama in an otherwise green landscape, which is
probably why you added them to the pond in the first place! When
those flowers stop blossoming and the leaves grow to excess,
it’s a sure sign that it’s time to divide and replant the
lilies. With a little know-how, splitting lilies is a chore that
can be done in no time. Here’s how to do it: 1. Remove your
overgrown plants from the water garden in the spring, sometime
around March or April, when the water temperature starts to
rise. Put on your waterproof gardening gloves, like the Aqua
Gloves, and carefully lift the plant to a work space and remove
it from its container. You may need to cut open the basket,
depending how pot-bound the plant is. 2. Next, wash off old soil
and roots not attached to the plant. Split the crown of the
plant with a sharp knife to c