This is done by carefully rubbing it off. Bulb mites like to hide in this outer skin which is usually in some state of rotting.
Once you get under the bulb, carefully dig it up. Do not blame yourself if you miss on some of your first attempts Jump Start at this and end up chopping a bulb in two. We're all human! It's well worth it once you get the knack of it.Dividing is done differently than the original planting. Gently remove the soil. When dividing, you need to know where they are before you start digging! Therefore, it is done in the late spring, when the foliage turns yellow (and never before they're done blooming for the year--the energy will have gone to the leaves and you'll be shocked to find NO BULB under the ground until the energy returns to its underground storage.
THEN REPLANT THEM, THEN, in the spring! Since you will have just dug them up, they will still be in the current growth cycle. If it won't come off, use a hose to wash it off. It will help keep the bulb healthy longer if you clean off the decomposing outer skin. JUMPING THE GUN WILL KILL THE PLANT!!! This is very important!)
After the linsheng foliage turns yellow, take a large shovel and dig WAY down so you're sure to get under the bulb. This is because YOURS haven't been drying out for months on some rack, and like fresh vegetables, there's nothing like 'em!
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Then, MIRACLE! you will Spotlight Company see at least 4 bulbs are there, each with its own stalk. The next spring you may find your transplants are the only ones left unless you are SURE where the others are!
replanting them is the same procedure as an original planting, only you will need to clean off the outer layer of old bulb skin from the bulb. If you cannot plant them back the same day, it is safer to wait till the usual time to replant. It's Gross! But once this is done, you will see a PRISTINE skin underneath! It usually looks better than the ones you buy in the store once cleaned. This can make quite a mud pie, so be sure to wear old clothes. But it is MUCH BETTER to do it all at once, because you will know where the other bulbs are! It is very risky to dig in a dormant bed when you don't know where the others are. Carefully (this may take some firmness) separate the bulbs.
