How to Plant & Space Liriope

Liriope, which also goes by the name lilyturf, is an ornamental grass that some homeowners also plant as a lawn. The blades reach a height of 16 inches if not mowed, and light-purple flowers develop in the late summer and fall. The plants require little care after planting and are very heat tolerant. Liriope spreads mostly by the underground root system, so spacing is important when you first plant it.

Hand spade
Tiller
Bow rake
Garden gloves
Protective eyewear
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Walk around your landscape area and locate a spot that receives direct sunlight exposure. Dig into the soil by 4 to 5 inches using a hand spade and ensure the soil is dark in color.
- 2
  Don work gloves and protective eyewear and set the blade of a tiller to 6 inches. Push the tiller over the ground area to loosen it thoroughly.
- 3
  Rake the top of the tilled soil using a bow rake to smooth the top out evenly.
- 4
  Dig a hole using a hand spade, making it the same depth as one of the liriope pots. Remove the liriope from the nursery pot and set the roots into the center of the hole. Push the removed soil back into the hole until the roots are covered.
- 5
  Dig identical holes every 12 inches, which is the proper spacing for liriope. If you are planting multiple rows, space the additional rows at 12-inch intervals as well, but stagger the plants so they do not align with those in the first row.
- 6
  Water the soil to a 4- or 5-inch depth using a garden hose to saturate the liriope roots.
- 7
  Spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the liriope plants to conserve moisture until the roots establish themselves in the soil. Leaves, pine bark and pine straw all make good mulches for liriope.

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