Transplanting liriope

I have spent the day thinning my generous neighbor's liriope. I think it is liriope spicata. Should I cut the plants back or set them out as they are? The majority of the plants are about 12-15" tall. Also, how close should I place the plants? I am putting this on a steep bank for erosion control. The bank is mostly clay and mostly shaded. Any help would be appreciated. Doris

Hi Doris
Liriope is pretty tough stuff. Landscapers around here mow and/or weed-eat the stuff in late winter, to 'clean it up' a bit for spring.
Since you're planting in shade, you should get by w/out having to cut them back. Plant the clumps 4-6" apart (I've planted 2" apart for quick coverage).
Hope this helps.

Thanks Bloomer.
One more question~clumps? Most of the plants have four or five of the long leaves. Should I put several of these in one hole? Some of the plants only have small roots but many others have long roots and what looks like sprouting plants. Can you tell, I'm one of the "newbies". :) This is my second year to have a garden. Thank you very much for your help. Doris

Well, personally I put a few of those plants together to make more of a clump, but it's not necessary. My thinking is it would fill in faster by planting 'clumps' as opposed to 'sprigging'. Less work for you, too. Of course, if you have a large area to cover & limited supply of plants, then sprigging will cover more ground.
Hope this makes sense. :)

Makes sense. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again for your help.

Bloomer and anyone interested. With my husband's help I put out the Liriope on a bank covering about 550 sq feet. We had to work off a ladder to put out some of it. The bank was almost pure clay. My husband literally drilled three inch holes into the clay. We put the plants in and filled with potting soil. We have kept it watered and have not lost a plant yet! Really looks better. Thanks again for your help. Doris

Hi Doris
Glad to hear it worked for you. This time next year, they should be filled in nicely, especially for all that hard work you and DH put into planting. Whew!
Paula

This is a picture of the project after a year and a half. New growth is coming out now. Needless to say I don't cut it back.

Wow. That looks great. Hey, I drove through your "neck of the woods" today. Wish I had time to stop, but with 2 kiddos and a bad nights sleep in a motel, I was just ready to get home. I hope to see you yet, before we move to OK. :)

That would be great. I would love to have you visit!

Liriope is so tough, if you thin it, don't leave the thinnings on any dirt, they will root. Our SIL was going to take lots of clumps and put them at his house, he never got around to it. We put it in a corner in the woods. It's firmly rooted and making a great stand there. lol

Three years later.

Ain't continuity grand? It's neat seeing all three pictures of your liriope timeline in one post, Doris!

Doris, I'm two months new here and am so glad you updated this thread for us. Three years to such beauty. Hope for us all with projects and dreams. - Blooms

I remember hearing someone on HGTV (maybe Rebecca of Rebecca's Garden?) remark that perennials take three years to really get established.

The first year, they sleep.
The second year, they creep.
The third year, they LEAP!

That's exactly right -- we've been in our home since summer 2000 and it's just now that the beds we began back that first season are really starting to fill in. Perennials are awesome, so worth the wait!

As GW stated, continuity, or is it patience? I don't even have to be patient any more since time seems to fly by so quickly. It seems like yesterday when we put the liriope out!

This is the longest I've been involved at any online community, and it's wonderful having old posts to update from three years back, as well as seeing other members do so. You remind me that I have lots of old posts that could stand a new photo or two now that we can post multiple pictures in a thread.

GW, I think I was member 96! I had just started thinking about trying to garden when I stumbled across DG. Five years later, my garden and Daves Garden is a significant part of my life. I don't post as much as I'd like. I still work full time and about thirty miles from home. I do a lot of reading here and feel like many of the regulars are friends. It has been interesting to see some come and go too. I miss some and wonder what has happened to them. I do enjoy your posts and still remember you helping computer illiterate me more than once in that area. Thanks, Doris

Liriope is a big favorite down here for bordering beds, driveways etc. I gotta say it hurts me to hear the words Liriope and "cut back" in the same breath.

If you cut back a liriope, it will never look the same again. Blunt edges of the blades will go grey and never have that healthy green flowing look again. If you want to thin them, do it by the roots, not by giving it a haircut.

My neighbor has giant liriopes bordering her driveway. Her friend was "helping" her weedwack. She blunt cut along the driveway edge on the plants. The tips of those plant blades will never be the same again. That was over a year ago.

Being a house painter, I learned this many years ago. Despite all efforts to be careful, paint can wander in drips. I clean up the liriopes by plucking the blade that got the paint.

Sorry for going on, this is mho.

:^)))
Molly