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

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.

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.  

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

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.

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.

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.

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? 

​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. 

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. 

​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. 

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. 

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.

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.

​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!  

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