Transplanting lily bulbs

debbiefisher22

Hi, I need to empty a border due to a redesign of the garden.  There were four massive lily bulbs in there, producing fantastic lilies for the last 3 years.  I have taken them carefully out the ground with all their roots.  Should I plant them in another border now, or clean and dry them and leave until spring to replant them?

Fairygirl

I usually just replant [I lifted some yesterday ] but you can also pot them up, label them, and plant when you have a space ready for them. 
They often benefit from being separated, once they become very large clumps. You can do that too, to give you more plants. Just pull the bulbs apart gently and replant, or pot. 

Bijdezee

I dry mine out every year, store them in the frost free shed then repot with extra compost in April. This is mostly because I live in an area that's very damp and with clay soil so I'm worried about rotting. 

Fairygirl

I have the same conditions - heavy clay, and a lot of rain. Our average here is well over four feet per annum. 
I only grow lilies where they have a lot of planting around them to help compete with that, and they're all against walls or fences where it's drier. I also make sure the ground is addressed with organic matter to help the structure, which they also appreciate.  I haven't lost any in the decades I've been growing them