Dividing Hardy Bulbs: Multiply Your Spring Blooms

Overcrowded bulbs show crowded foliage and fewer flowers. After foliage dies back, dig clumps and gently separate offsets (baby bulbs) from parents. Replant immediately or store cool and dry until fall planting. Plant offsets twice as deep as their height—not as deep as mature bulbs. Small offsets take a few years to reach blooming size.

Corms (gladiolus, crocus, freesia) produce cormels around the base. Remove when dormant. Replant hardy cormels (crocus, colchicum) immediately. Store tender cormels (gladiolus) cool and dry over winter; plant in spring.

For scaly bulbs like lilies, dig in spring and remove outer scales. Replant immediately.