The special thing about propagating the African lily is the constant spread of the root rhizome, which should be divided regularly when cared for as a container plant. However, there are a few things to consider when it comes to the abundance of flowers on the African lily.
How do I divide an African lily correctly?
To divide an African lily successfully, choose the right time at the beginning of April, use suitable tools such as a saw, splitting ax or chisel and place the sections in correctly sized planters with sufficient soil.
The right time to divide the African lily
The best opportunity for dividing the Agapanthus rhizome is at the beginning of April, when the African lily is moved from its winter quarters into the open field. If your Agapanthus plants are fertilized regularly, then around 3 to 4 years after the last division, the root rhizome will have displaced almost all of the soil from the planter due to its growth. Nevertheless, make sure not to place the individual parts of the African lily rhizome in containers that are too large, as a certain narrowness in the rhizome has a beneficial effect on the formation of the flowers.
Limitations of Agapanthus flowering by sharing
Don't be surprised if the Agapanthus cuttings don't bloom in the year of division. It can sometimes take up to 2 or 3 years for the spherical flowers to appear again at the summer blooming time. If you already have several African lilies on your terrace, it is a good idea to divide individual specimens on a rotating basis. This means you can always admire a few flowering specimens while the freshly divided plants grow back into their planters.
The ideal tool for dividing African lilies
The root rhizome of the African lily forms an extremely solid and fused body. This cannot always be achieved optimally with conventional dividing instruments such as a normal planting spade. Possible tools against this can be:
- a sturdy saw (€49.00 at Amazon)
- a sharpened splitting ax
- a flat chisel and a hammer
To avoid injuries when dividing the rhizome with these tools, you should secure the rhizome against slipping. To do this, you can, for example, clamp the rhizome to the edge of a planting table with screw clamps and then attach the saw.
Tips & Tricks
You should place freshly divided African lily root rhizomes in correctly sized planters with sufficient soil. To ensure that the plants bloom again as quickly as possible, the planter must be neither too small nor too large.
