How to Transplant Liriope in the Winter

Prepare the planting bed before dividing the lirope clumps.

Liriope (Liriope muscari), also called lily turf, is a clumping or spreading ground cover that grows well in full sun or heavy shade and in arid regions as well as salty coastal areas. L. muscari has long, wide leaves and produces attractive spikes of flowers in summer. This is the clumping form of liriope. The plant produces new growth in spring. Winter is a good time to divide and transplant liriope, as long as the ground is not frozen.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel or sharp spade
• Rake
• Sharp knife
• Fertilizer
• Organic matter
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Prepare the planting bed before digging up the plants to divide them. Use the shovel or spade to turn the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches and rake out as many weeds and grasses as possible. Pull any remaining weeds by hand and break up large dirt clods. Work 3 pounds of fertilizer such as 5-10-5 or a general-purpose lawn fertilizer into each 100 square feet of planting bed and mix organic matter such as leaf mold, compost or manure into the soil at the same time. If the planting bed is large, consider using a tiller. If weeds and grasses are abundant, use herbicide to kill them but wait a week for the product to work and before adding the soil amendments and fertilizer.

2. Dig as many planting holes in the planting bed as needed, using a shovel. Dig up the liriope you want to divide and transplant. Work quickly to minimize the time the tender roots are exposed to cold winter temperatures. Wash the dirt off the roots and divide the clumps by hand or use a knife or spade to cut through the center of the clump and down through the root cluster. Make sure each section of liriope has roots.

3. Adjust the depth of the planting holes by adding or subtracting soil with the shovel until the divided clumps will sit in the holes at the same depth as where they originally grew. Place one divided plant into each hole and hold the plant in place with one hand while pushing some of the excavated dirt back into the hole to hold the liriope in place.

4. Water the liriope plants lightly to allow the soil to settle around the roots. Finish backfilling each planting hole with excavated dirt to the level of the surrounding ground. Water the plants thoroughly.

5. Spread an organic mulch such as pine bark chips or pine straw 3 to 5 inches deep around each plant and in the spaces between the plants in the planting bed. The mulch will help the soil retain moisture and discourage weeds.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the soil around the transplanted liriopes moist but not wet. Replenish the mulch as needed and pull weeds as they appear. Fertilize with a general lawn or shrub granular fertilizer in early spring, following package directions, and water thoroughly for maximum penetration. This helps the transplanted liriopes become firmly established in the garden.

References

• University of Hawaii; Liriope, the “Other” Mondo Grass; Jay Deputy; November 1999
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Selecting Landscape Plants: Ground Covers; Diane Ralf, et al.; May 2009
• University of Georgia Extension; Liriope Culture in Georgia; James T. Midcap, et al.; April 2009

Resources

• University of Georgia Extension; Ground Covers; James T. Midcap, et al.; August 2011
• Learn 2 Grow; Liriope Lovelies; Gerald Klingaman