Digging up lilies.

Edmonton, AB(Zone 3a)

The only time that any of my lilies have been dug up since being planted several years ago was this spring, just to move some a few feet over. I want to give some away but I don't know what to do with them once they are out of the ground.
Oh yeah they're the Asiatic lilies.
Do I have to rinse them off? Cut off any roots? Divide them? What should I store them in?
Thanks in advance.

Calgary, AB(Zone 3b)

If you are just giving them to someone else, just dig up the dormant bulbs and pass them on... There is no need to cut off any roots. When you dig them up, you'll see how many large and smaller bulbs there are, and can parcel them out as you like. Don't "divide" the bulbs.

Are you mailing them to someone? If that's the case, you can pack the bulbs in vermiculite or sawdust inside plastic bags but it's certainly not necessary to do that. (When you mail-order bulbs, you'll find they often come packed that way.)

Bulbs of true lilies need to be planted promptly, and should not be "stored" for any length of time. Unlike, for example, tulip bulbs, they have no protective covering that would prevent rapid drying-out.

Edmonton, AB(Zone 3a)

I'm just giving them to somebody I work with. I was super lazy yesterday when I dug them up so I'm giving them to her in a two big clumps of dirt that have 5 bulbs each with the stems still attached. Hope she doesn't mind. lol

Stamford, CT(Zone 6b)

She should be happy to get them. My experience with digging and moving asiatic bulbs has been really positive with little effort. Sometimes with a negative effort when I forgot to plant them and they still stood the test of time!
Marcia

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