~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

And I would add to Derek's post, re-pot in containers, so they're easier
to remove/divide next time. Sounds like his pond needs a good bottom
cleaning before fall anyway. ~ jan

Oh, and I'd add to that - experiment with potting media.

I had great success with leaving my lilies bareroot. I wired them into
milkcrates filled with rocks. Then they're _really_ easy to divide. If
you get the weight of the rocks right, they actually float to the surface
when they're ready for dividing, because the bouyancy of the foliage
defeats the weight of the rocks!

You can pot in kitty litter (needs washing well), or gravel (difficult to
get a shovel through to divide them). Forget soil, though. They just
don't need the extra nutrients.
--
derek