How to propagate Liriope
Every year in our nursery we produce thousands of liriope plants. This short step by step guide shows how we propagate liriope.
Select plants
The method we use to propagate liriope in our nursery is division. It’s fast and the success rate is almost 100%.
We select plants from our nursery. You can also dig up an existing clump or search for overgrown stock at a local nursery.
The variety we are dividing in this article is liriope muscari ‘Samantha’. We started our collection with only 25 plants and we now stock thousands.
All Liriope can be propagated by division. In our nursery we propagate Samantha, Royal purple and Munroe white.
Sometimes on a variety such as ‘evergreen giant’, seed may be collected and sown.
Splitting the clump up
Firstly we try and remove as much soil as possible from the plant, this creates a fresh and weed free environment for the new pups as they are starting out.
A good hard shake is generally enough to remove most of the dirt, get your fingers throughout the roots and tease the remaining debris free from the clump.
You do not need to be gentle, they are very hardy.
The clump should pull apart reasonably easily. Gently pull in different directions there is usually a weak point.
If it doesn’t pull apart easily use a knife or garden snips to cut it.
Keep splitting the clumps until they are comfortable to work with.
Once you have a smaller clump you can start looking at selecting single plants.
One 14cm (5.5″) pot gives us anywhere between 5-10 individual plants.
Of course a decent clump dug up from the garden can produce much more.
Even tiny buds, with a small root system like the picture below will grow into strong healthy plants.
Reducing plant shock
Liriope is a very tough plant. We are able to divide it twice a year, sometimes it’s very hot when we are dividing. In this situation we place a damp tea towel over the exposed roots of the divided plants until we’re ready to start potting them.
When splitting the plants apart it’s important that you try to keep as much of the root system intact as you can. Sometime you don’t get as much as you would like, If this happens cut the foliage back. This will stop the plant from trying to keep the excess foliage alive with a limited root system.
Another tip for reducing shock is to water in with a seaweed solution. This helps promote root growth.
Pot your new plants
Once you have your single plants divided up, your ready to begin potting.
Use a good quality potting mix. If the weather is cooler (not summer) you could plant directly back into the garden, just backfill with potting mix, compost or worm castings.
We feed the new plants with a slow release fertiliser, It helps to establish them a bit quicker.
As mentioned before, if your want to give them the best start, water them with a seaweed solution. Either way, make sure their first drink is a thorough soaking.
That’s about it, hope you are enjoying our content and if you would like to see more, please feel free to subscribe. Happy planting:)
Below is a short video showing the above steps.
Propagating by seed
Another useful method of propagation for liriope is collecting and sowing the seed.
The seed will begin to ripen during autumn. It remains on the plant for quite some time. Almost 3 months.
We are in a coolish climate about 1 hr east of Melbourne, Australia. Ive seen ripe seed in Queensland during summer. But down here its always in autumn that i start to notice the seeds.
Once the seed berries turn from green to black they can be harvested and planted.
Here in our climate this is an incredibly slow method of propagation, compared to the division method.
The seeds took about 6 months to germinate and another 5 months till the plants were as large as the ones we divide.
Below is a short video showing our seed propagation trial.
Propagation Kit
We have also put together a resource page that contains links to the products we use or similar. If you want to check that out click the link.
Propagate Liriope muscari Samantha Video
This short video shoes how we propagate Liriope muscari ‘Samantha’ in our nursery.
Propagate Liriope Royal Purple Video
This video shows how we propagate liriope royal purple in our nursery. We propagate these by division in late autumn or early winter.
Propagating Liriope Using Seed Video
This short video shows our trail propagating liriope by seed.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OTHER PLANTS WE PROPAGATE
Liriope muscari- ‘Samantha’ care
Liriope muscari ‘samantha’ is an evergreen perennial. It forms clumps of slender strappy deep green leaves. In summer it produces clusters of small pink flower spikes.
Samantha is great as a border along shady paths, or under trees, also looks great mass planted and in patio containers.
Grows best in moist well drained soil in a partly shaded position. It is a very adaptable plant however and can be grown in full sun. It will tolerate dry periods and frost.
Cultural notes
Botanical name: Liriope muscari ‘Samantha’
Common name: Lilyturf, border grass, monkey grass
Family: Asparagaceae
Native to: East Asia
Flowers: summer
Position: Part shade/Shade
Height: 60cm
Width: 40cm
Liriope muscari- ‘Royal Purple’ care
Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ is an evergreen perennial. It forms clumps of slender strappy deep green leaves. In summer it produces clusters of small vibrant purple flower spikes.
Royal purple is wildly grown as a ground covering liriope. Looks great as a border, planted between pavers or amongst rocks.
Grows best in moist well drained soil in a partly shaded position. It will tolerate dry periods and light frost.
Cultural notes
Botanical name: Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’
Common name: Lilyturf, border grass, monkey grass
Family: Asparagaceae
Native to: East Asia
Flowers: summer
Position: Part shade/Shade
Height: 40 cm
Width: 40cm