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October 15, 2019 in Penennials

The dos and don’ts of plant division – divide & conquer your perennials now!

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Ever start a home or garden project only because you absolutely had too? Your hands were tied!  

That’s where I’m at right now.

I had no intention, none whatsoever of dividing my hosta plants this fall. But to make way for the new patio I had to.

Not knowing the day or the hour the patio is coming is stressing me out of my mind.

The new patio is slated to go over my perennial/bulb beds. Any plants I want to save have to be dug out pronto or get paved over.

So to save those cherished hostas I got to work. Tom helped quite a bit, too!

​I will say, many of them had gotten too large, so it was timely pursuit. But with three young kids, I’ve become a “needs must” type of gal.

Since the plants had to be moved out of that location, it was the time to divide up the larger plants before moving them to their new home.

This is the insider scoop on plant division!  

Red hot poker

My red hot poker plants were getting too big for their britches and had to be divided!

Shoulda….coulda… when to hack off a piece of plant

Be mindful that just because a plant can be divided doesn’t always mean it should be divided. 

After all, you are taking a spade and hacking off a chunk of a beloved plant.

​If you aren’t careful instead of getting two or three plants, you are going to end up with none at all if you hack away without discretion.

When you dig up a perennial, you’ll notice that it fits into five basic root types: roots that form clumps or offsets, surface roots, underground running roots, taproots or woody roots.

Bear this in mind when dividing and conquering those perennial plants!  Let it be known that not all perennials weren’t meant to be hacked away with a spade. 

Some perennials, like bleeding hearts, columbines, coral bells, hellebores, forget-me-not, lady’s mantle, lamb’s ears, primroses, speedwell, stonecrop, violets, yarrow and a few others are better off broken apart gently with your fingers.

​So put down the spade, please! 

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Do

Water those plants extremely well in the days prior to the division. Ensuring that the mother plant is fully hydrated and replenished is the key to success.

If you’ve had a spell of heavy rain, then it just might be a sign that it’s time to divide and replant.

Wet topsoil is easier to break up and more manageable when transplanting. 

The ground is softer for not only digging up the plants but transplanting to the new hole. No sweat!

I failed to give my Russian sage enough water prior to relocating and quite honestly, it’s not doing great.

Fingers crossed that it somehow manages to rebound and comes back next year.  Live and learn!  

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Do

Loosen up and till the soil where you plan on relocating the newly divided plants. It should be extremely crumbly and aerated.

This practice gives the new roots a place to expand and spread and more able to get established down and deep into the ground.

If your soil isn’t fertile, it’s good to add compost and a handful of worm casings into the hole to nourish roots giving the plant a quick boost.

And it’s never a bad idea to add some fresh garden soil in and around the hole when replanting.

Then wait a few weeks (for spring transplants only), until the plant is more established to add a little fertilizer like the Dr. Earth brand.

For fall transplants, I like to wait to fertilize in spring as not to encourage stem and leaf growth. For now, our focus is deep, strong roots!  

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Do

Begin digging at the perennials drip line for minimal damage. The roots will usually extend that far, so digging there lets you lift the plant out with most of it roots intact.

Dig a trench around the clump, and cleanly sever the roots.

Then cut at an angle down and under the clump and all around the perimeter of the plant. Dig and angle until you can pry the plant out of the hole.

For larger plants, you may have to first dig the trench then slice straight down through the center of the plant, halving or even quartering the plant clump before cutting and lifting it out of its hole. 

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Hosta before division

Do

Gently pry apart and untangle the roots instead of allowing them to stay bunched together. Spread out the roots in the hole allowing them to establish themselves sooner.  

Dig a hole the same depth as the plant was previously. Failure to follow this step will encourage root asphyxia.

​Now is also the time to consider the sun/shade issue.

Was your plant happy with the amount of sun it was getting before? Did it like its current location or would another spot suited it better?

​Does the plant need more sun? Less sun? Would it prefer more acidic soil? Less acidic soil? If any adjustments need to be made, now is your chance! 

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Hosta after division – now 3 clumps

Do

Do replant pieces that are, at most, 20%-25% of the original clump. 

​Smaller sections grow more vigorously and tend to produce stronger, longer-lasting blooms.

Take a hosta, for example. Divide it into about seven growing points to reap the best results.

​Perennials tend to multiple exponentially~ just one stem is likely to triple or quadruple itself within a short timeframe.

Be generous when plant sharing because if you halve an overgrown clump this year, it will more than double in a season and need dividing again next year! 

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Do

Do place a division into a hole that is at least twice as wide as its roots when spread out.

Don’t allow a root tip to go up rather than down to the ground. And don’t let roots curl back around themselves just to stuff them into an undersized hole.

This suppresses the plant’s natural regrowth mechanisms! Dig a bigger hole!

Root tip growth is partly regulated by chemicals flowing down from the tips of leafy stems to the roots.

Since gravity is involved, if you plant a root tip up and it wants down, the normal flow is interrupted not allowing the root tip to grow as strong as it could.  

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Do

In a perfect world, 50% humidity and 50 degrees F. are the ideal conditions for holding divisions until you can get those plants back into the ground.

​This keeps those roots cool and moist.

Store them in a bucket or box in a cool, shaded place, such as a garage and cover them with newspaper to slow moisture loss.

Sprinkle water to dampen the newspaper if the roots seem dry during their “hold” time.

​If worse comes to worse, and they do dry out, just soak them in a bucket of water for an hour or so prior to transplanting.

No bucket would have been big enough for my perennials so I stole my sons pink kiddie pool. Room for all! 

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Don’t

Don’t divide weakened, diseased or decrepit perennial plants. And don’t wait until a plant has become too humongous in size to divide it either. 

Keep your eyes peeled for early signs of trouble: like when the center of the plant has smaller leaves, fewer flowers, and weaker blooming stalks than the outer edges.

​Or, when the plant runs out of growing room on its edges and has nowhere to go but into adjacent plants.

​Would you want to go through a major surgery if you had a massive head cold or the flu? Nope.

Your plants feel the same way. They’d rather recover their strength before being divided and moved.

​Only keep the healthiest pieces of the plant. Watch for discolored stems and eroded crowns and roots and chuck those bits into your compost bin. 

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Don’t

Don’t try to divide and transplant in the height of summer. 

Most plants don’t want to be moved in the heat of July. But if you get a hot stretch in spring or fall lasting a few days, that’s not the time to divide and transplant either.

Wait for the weather to cool down and then water, water, water before you move plants.

​Why spring or fall?

Spring because that’s the time plants are just starting to emerge. Fall because plants are starting to prepare for dormancy.

I prefer fall for transplanting over spring because the plants have more time to set new roots before winter. September is my preferred month but early October is okay, too.  

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Don’t

Don’t be tempted to fertilize the mother plant or her babies right away. I’m tempted too, but manage to refrain!

The fertilizer solution will likely increase the salinity of the soil and take a harsh toil on the pups. They are just not ready for fertilizer!

Wait a few weeks to a month or more before even considering to fertilize.

​Read the directions carefully on the package. Don’t over-fertilize either! That’s worse than not fertilizing at all!  

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Don’t

Don’t hold out on the compost even if you decide to wait a bit to add fertilizer. 

​If you remove a wheelbarrow full of perennials, the rule of thumb is to put a wheelbarrow full of compost back into that site before replanting.

This amendment  will renew the soil increasing fertility, drainage and air circulation.

You’ll even drive away a few unwanted pests!

​And I always add a handful of worm casings (worm poop!) for a big, bonus spin!  

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Don’t

Don’t let the new pups/babies/transplants waste any energy blooming. 

If you notice flowers forming right after division, cut them off to allow all the energy to go into forming roots.

​Focus on your roots and you’ll reap the benefits of flowers down the road. But I get it…cutting off the buds is hard! 

What fall projects are you tackling right now?

Secret Code: frog

71 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joe Woolston says

    June 30, 2021 at 10:46 am

    Love the idea of using a kiddie wading pool. Would look great in the corner of our yard.

    Reply
  2. Chad Boyd says

    June 30, 2021 at 11:10 am

    Thank you so much for these helpful tips!

    Reply
    • Martin Strait says

      July 1, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Good info

      Reply
  3. Belinda+Rowden says

    June 30, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    Great tips thank you

    Reply
  4. Jennylyn Gross says

    June 30, 2021 at 2:17 pm

    thanks for the info

    Reply
  5. DAVID+FARRELL says

    June 30, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    forces me to do now as they are in serious condition

    Reply
  6. Sandra McFadden says

    June 30, 2021 at 3:04 pm

    Yes the hostas they dou ble so fast and are the hardest to divide sometimes. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Joseph Metzler says

    June 30, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    Thanks for this. I’m a gardening newbie and I needed this info.

    Reply
  8. Phyllis Skoglund says

    June 30, 2021 at 4:11 pm

    My perennial plants are the plants that keep on giving.

    Reply
  9. Sherry McCarthy says

    June 30, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    Love the kiddie pool idea! Thanks for all the info on how to divide all the plants.

    Reply
  10. Liz Kilcher says

    July 1, 2021 at 4:03 am

    you have such great ideas!!! thanks

    Reply
  11. Diane Warstler says

    July 1, 2021 at 8:18 am

    This is exactly what I needed for my HUGE hostas! Many thanks!!

    Reply
  12. David+Medlin says

    July 1, 2021 at 9:13 am

    I do not have a green thumb, so this was a interesting article.

    Reply
  13. Bradley Marquis says

    July 1, 2021 at 9:27 am

    cool

    Reply
  14. Jeff P says

    July 1, 2021 at 9:53 am

    Good info

    Reply
  15. Jeff Smead says

    July 1, 2021 at 10:09 am

    Good review, knew most of this but some new suggestions also. THANKS!

    Reply
  16. Cheryll Powning says

    July 1, 2021 at 10:34 am

    Some really great tips. Will definitely use them. Thanks!

    Reply
  17. Vicki Davis says

    July 1, 2021 at 10:54 am

    Thank you for the wonderful info! Have a wonderful blessed day ❣️

    Reply
  18. Michael+Coovert says

    July 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    I would love to have you come help me in my yard and garden. Mine is a very humble effort compared to yours but your knowledge and assistance would be beyond incredible.

    Reply
  19. Christine Weary says

    July 1, 2021 at 1:40 pm

    Thanks for the helpful information

    Reply
  20. Tony+Platz says

    July 1, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    Thanks for the info I learned some new things .

    Reply
  21. Colleen Debs says

    July 1, 2021 at 3:10 pm

    Good advice.

    Reply
  22. joanna says

    July 1, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    I hope to dig up and move some peonies that have too much shade now.

    Reply
  23. Sunshyn says

    July 1, 2021 at 3:31 pm

    I’m always afraid to transplant the plants around our yard. Thank you for the tips.

    Reply
  24. SHERRI+RUSSELL says

    July 1, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    Such great ideas…thank you for all the wonderful information.

    Reply
  25. irene oneill says

    July 1, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    i always learn new things from here

    Reply
  26. Janis C says

    July 1, 2021 at 8:59 pm

    My hostas seem hardy. I’ve never had difficulty in losing any when I separated or relocated them. Some flowers, on the other hand, are a different story. Thanks for the info.

    Reply
  27. Jennifer George says

    July 1, 2021 at 9:49 pm

    Thanks for the tips

    Reply
  28. Pamela Chambers says

    July 2, 2021 at 12:10 am

    Learned a lot… ty

    Reply
  29. Minnie C. says

    July 2, 2021 at 1:00 am

    Good read! The article was interesting and had a good amount of great suggestions & tips.
    The kitty pool idea was awesom.

    Reply
  30. Tamara Regan says

    July 2, 2021 at 7:48 am

    This is all such great knowledge. I just moved and I have so much weeding to do before I can begin planting new.

    Reply
  31. Julie Waldron says

    July 2, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    These are some great tips because I would like to transplant some of the hosta’s my Mom has.

    Reply
  32. Leela says

    July 3, 2021 at 1:19 am

    Thanks for all the tips.

    Reply
  33. Brittany Gilley says

    July 3, 2021 at 10:46 am

    thanks for these great tips!

    Reply
  34. Rhonda Martin says

    July 3, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    I can’t read because your trending contentr video is scrolling the page and won’t go away and a bunch of adds in the way.

    Reply
  35. Lisa Alden says

    July 3, 2021 at 9:05 pm

    Thanks for this info!

    Reply
  36. Sam says

    July 4, 2021 at 12:15 am

    Definitely helpful tips, probably need to do this soon too, and now I know.

    Reply
  37. Lori+Byrd says

    July 4, 2021 at 7:12 am

    I always learn something new! Thank you

    Reply
  38. Lisa Cress says

    July 4, 2021 at 9:51 am

    Thanks for this post!

    Reply
  39. Paula Brown says

    July 5, 2021 at 8:48 am

    Great gardening ideals and tips for a wonderful looking yard.

    Reply
  40. Lesley F says

    July 5, 2021 at 9:48 am

    Will be using the kiddie pool idea! Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  41. Steven Cook says

    July 5, 2021 at 7:40 pm

    Good info I will probably need to divide in a year. I appreciate the tips.

    Reply