Ask Arlene about transplanting and dividing Perennials ©

Ask Arlene about transplanting and dividing Perennials ©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

A recent email question asked, “How do I deal with transplanting and dividing Perennials?”

For those of us who plant perennials we need to know that eventually we will have to divide them and the best time to divide them is in the early spring or fall.

Spring is the ideal time to transplant fall-blooming perennials and ornamental grasses and I find that fall, just about 6 weeks before a real hard frost is the best time to divide and transplant the spring blooming perennials.

Clumping perennials such as daylilies, chrysanthemums, asters, hostas, are plants typically grow from one main crown. The crown gets larger and larger each year, and sometimes you’ll see offsets (baby plants) attached to it. These plants are easiest to divide if you dig them up completely, so you can separate and divide the crown.

Taproot perennials such as oriental poppies, balloon flowers and butterfly weed just have one main, deep root. To divide them, you must dig up the plant and cut it so that each division has a piece of the taproot along with some growth buds.

Woody perennials like lavender, rosemary, candytuft, and euonymus have just one main stem or trunk, but they often spread when a stem touches the ground and takes root. You can sever and dig up the new plant without disturbing the original plant.

Spreading perennials like bee balm, phlox, leadwort, perennial vinca, and gooseneck loosestrife grow by surface or underground roots, or by dropping seed. They look more like a grouping of individual plants, each with its own crown and root system. You can divide these plants simply by digging up the ones you want to move while leaving the rest alone.

Once you have correctly divided your plants you are ready to replant your perennials. After the trauma of digging and ripping apart your beloved plant, you can see how important it is to baby them in their new home.  Dig a hole as deep as, and a little wider than, the root ball then mix in plenty of organic matter and sprinkle a source of phosphorus, such as bone meal or 0-19-0 fertilizer, in the hole to promote root growth.

Now place the division in the planting hole. Make sure the roots are spread out and down making sure the roots are down because you don’t want downward-growing roots to be turned upward in the hole or sticking up out of the ground.

Fill in around the plant with soil, tamping it gently down making sure the new plant is planted at the same depth as it was originally.

Water the plant well, and feed regularly with a balanced organic fertilizer. You must water about every other day for the first 2-3 weeks. You may want to water with a little extra water for the rest of the growing season, particularly if they’re planted in a spot that doesn’t receive regular water.  Add mulch around the plants to insulate the roots and hold in moisture.

Remember you can get many different kinds of seeds at our store by clicking Home Farm Herbery now.

May the Creative Force be with you as you tread the earth lightly!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC