{"id":1142,"date":"2026-01-21T09:51:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T07:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2026-01-21T09:51:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T07:51:43","slug":"when-and-how-to-divide-your-bulbs-for-optimal-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=1142","title":{"rendered":"When and how to divide your bulbs for optimal growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Many of your favourite garden plants are bulbs, such as daffodils, snowdrops, and lilies. These bulbs are planted while they are dormant and typically bloom within a few months. There are bulbs suitable for every season and adaptable to various soil types and conditions, making them ideal for<\/span>\u00a0container gardening. It\u2019s important to know when to divide your bulbs to ensure optimal growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most bulbs require little maintenance, especially when planted in the ground. When grown in containers, bulbs require more frequent watering and feeding. A common question is whether or not to divide your bulbs. Fortunately, in the South African climate, most types of bulbs do not need to be removed from the soil unless you\u2019re trying to make space for other bulbs or annuals to be planted. <\/span>Many bulbs are hardy perennials that can be left in place<\/span>.<\/span> So the answer is yes, even though you don\u2019t need to.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to divide your bulbs<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

To divide or lift any bulb, you need to wait until its growth has turned yellow and died down. This will be at least six weeks after flowering. You don\u2019t want to take them out while the leaves are still green, as they\u2019re still producing food and energy. <\/span><\/p>\n

At this stage, they should be getting ready for their dormancy stage. Trim the stalks back to about 15cm before lifting. Some lilies can be lifted while foliage is dying back. It is best to get it done before autumn starts, which may cause them to die off. If you live in a milder area, leave them where they are as long as the soil is well-draining.<\/span><\/p>\n

What to do after your bulbs are divided<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Once lifted, <\/span>you need to<\/span> discard any diseased or damaged bulbs. Make sure to clean the healthy bulbs by removing dead foliage, soil and any loose stuff. Dust the bulbs with anti- fungal. It\u2019s okay to pack them into a brown paper bag and leave them in a cool, airy, dry place. <\/span>When the right planting times arrive, <\/span>simply<\/span> plant them out as before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that some bulbs, such as Hippeastrum, may bloom within the same season they are replanted. Most bulbs will need a growing season within that year to establish themselves again. <\/span>They may not bloom as abundantly as in previous years, so <\/span>enhance<\/span> the space with some fresh bulbs as well.<\/span> Remember to water the bulbs thoroughly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image Credit: Gettys<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

ALSO SEE:<\/p>\n

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Why your Aloe vera is dying \u2013 and 7 easy fixes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Feature Image: Unsplash<\/p>\n

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The post When and how to divide your bulbs for optimal growth<\/a> appeared first on SA Garden and Home<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of your favourite garden plants are bulbs, such as daffodils, snowdrops, and lilies. These bulbs are planted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}