Dividing 'Amaryllis belladonna'
I've got a couple bunches of Belladonna Lilies at my new house that look like they need to be divided. The bulbs are are clustered together very tightly and are starting to bulge up out of the ground. I've never dug up and divided bulbs before so I'm wondering if there is anything in particular I can do to increase my chances of success. I was going to wait for them to bloom first and them dig up and divide them in fall. Any suggestions?
I took a dozen "Naked Ladies" bulbs from my girlfriend last Labor Day, after her flowers died back. They come up in August here in the Berkeley/El Cerrito area. (She's in Berkeley.)
Her bulbs were bulging out of the ground but flowering quite happily, so there's no urgency to divide them.
She and I used weed sticks to pry one or two bulbs at a time off of the large bunch of 'em. I put the bulbs into a 5-gallon bucket and drove them home, where DH and I put them into the ground.
They gave me leaves this spring! A good sign, since this plant often sulks after being newly planted. So I'm hoping for flowers next month; will keep you posted.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Her bulbs were bulging out of the ground but flowering quite happily, so there's no urgency to divide them.
She and I used weed sticks to pry one or two bulbs at a time off of the large bunch of 'em. I put the bulbs into a 5-gallon bucket and drove them home, where DH and I put them into the ground.
They gave me leaves this spring! A good sign, since this plant often sulks after being newly planted. So I'm hoping for flowers next month; will keep you posted.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9