How to Transplant Stargazer Lilies

Prepare the new site. Spread a 2-inch layer of peat moss and a 1-inch layer of compost on the soil in the garden bed where you will transplant your Stargazer lilies. Dig these into the soil by turning it over with a garden spade. Rake the bed smooth.

Cut down the stems of the Stargazer lilies so they are half their original height.

Dig up the bulbs with a garden spade. Insert the spade into the ground about six inches away from the base of the plant so you don’t slice through the bulb with the spade. Remove the bulbs from the ground and shake off any excess soil. If the bulbs have multiplied from a single bulb to a group of bulbs, separate them and replant individually to increase your stock.

Use your garden trowel to dig a 4- to 6-inch hole about 10 to 12 inches across. Set the bulbs around the circumference of the hole, placing them about six to eight inches apart in the hole. Place the bulbs so their tops are about four to six inches below the surface of the soil. Back fill the planting hole and firm the surface with your hands. Plant groups of Stargazer lilies in mass planting holes that area 12 to 18 inches apart.

Spread slow-release granulated fertilizer around and among the transplanted lilies according to the manufacturer’s recommended rate of application.

Water each group of transplanted lilies with a hand watering can.

Mulch the soil in the planting bed with an organic mulch, such as buckwheat hulls or shredded bark. Spread a 2- to 4-inch layer in the bed to hold in moisture and discourage the growth of weeds.