| Dividing Perennials |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-107 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Q: I'm looking for ways to increase the number of plants in my garden without spending a lot of money.
A: (Jesse Mack Burns, Ask DIY Gardening expert) Try dividing any perennials you have with established root systems. In addition to providing yourself with some new plants, you'll help the plants you divide to grow more quickly. There are a lot of different plants that you can split. Monkey grass, for example, will cover entire flower beds if you start by splitting one plant and keep up the practice. Hostas (figure A) also tend to grow in clumps. You can divide them while you thin the plant for its own good. Coral bells (figure B) have sweet little blooms, and if you split one you'll have an extra plant to share with someone special. Daylilies are another good choice. Perennials are the best plants to split, because of course they'll give you more than one season of blooming for your trouble. Annuals are rarely worth the effort. This is how you should split a perennial: Nobody's perfect: Never try to split a plant if you're not sure it has a fully established root system, or both parts of the split plant will die. - Use a large shovel to dig up the entire plant and all its roots. Make sure that the plant has enough roots to give each new plant a good supply. If it doesn't, put it back in the ground.
- Hack the roots and the dirt in two near the center, starting with garden shears or even a kitchen knife, and tearing the rest with your hands. If the dirt clump is large enough, you may need to use a handsaw for the initial cut. Don't worry about being gentle; you may lose a leaf or two, but the plants are fairly hardy, and you'll need some muscle to pull the roots apart.
- Put the original plant back in its place and replace any dirt that you removed.
- Plant the offshoot plant in a container with good potting soil and time-release fertilizer. Water it every day for about a week before giving it away or planting it in the garden.
Working smarter: If the offshoot will go into another flower bed, make sure to have the soil prepared before you split the plant so that you can replant it immediately. More questions for Jessie Mack:
Q: How old does a plant have to be before it can be split?
A: Age really isn't that important, as long as you've got a good, established root system with enough roots to support both new plants.
Q: How soon before it fills out?
A: You won't see a lot of growth if you split a plant in the cooler months, so don't worry about that. It will grow eventually.
Q: Can any plant be split?
A: Any plant can be split, but perennials work better than annuals because they are thicker and have more seasons to grow. Web site resources for splitting plants: How to Propagate Plants from Lowes.com Dividing Perennials from Win. Bright.net Dividing Irises from Horticulture HomePest News Propagation Home Propagation of Garden and Landscape Plants Plant Propagation by Layering Books:
Gardeners Home Companion: How to Raise and Propagate Over 350 Flowers, Shrubs and Vines
By Betty Macky
MacmillanUSA(1991)
201 West 103rd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
Phone: 317-581-3500
Customer Service Phone: 800-858-7654
Complete Book of Plant Propagation
By Jim Arbury
The Taunton Press (1997)
63 S. Main St.
Newton, CT 06470
Customer Service Phone: 800-243-7252
| 
)
)
)
