Propagating Liriope

The best and easiest way to propagate Liriope, Lilly Turf & Monkey Grass is through simple division. It is the nature of the plant to keep producing more and more new crowns and those crowns can easily be split off and used to start new plants. 

The best time to propagate liriope is in the very late fall or early spring. Dividing liriope is not necessary for the health or longevity of the plant but is often done to control the current plant’s spread in an area or to add the plant to another part of the garden or landscape. Division is best attempted after the third growing season. The two primary ways of propagating liriope are plant division and sowing seeds. Here’s how to divide it:

1. First, you’ll need a healthy clump or section of recently watered foliage with roots intact and a sharp knife.

2. Next, decide whether you will be transplanting the division to a new location outdoors or a pot of well-draining potting soil. The pot should be larger than the plant, with at least several inches to grow on each side and at the bottom.

3. Use a sterilized knife to cut through the root ball and divide it into as many parts as you need. Each piece should have some root.

4. Transplant it to a different part of the garden or into the pot, but be careful not to cover the root’s crown with the soil. If it’s covered, the crown may rot upon watering and kill the plant. Put soil around the plant and the root.