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Home > Leaf Talk > Garden Club > Gardening Tips > Tips for Dividing Perennials
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Tips for Dividing Perennials
Started April 1, 2009 @ 8:21am by raymond
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raymond
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| Tips for Dividing Perennials | April 1, 2009 @ 8:21am | Tips for Dividing Perennials:
1. Perennials with lots of fibrous roots can be dug up with a spade or shovel. Get a big clump because more roots are better than fewer roots.
2. Gently pull apart the roots by hand. Cut off any damaged or ded roots.
3. Replant the divisions immediately.
4. Water, and apply a 2-inch layer of mulch.
Some perennials should be divided by hand, not with a sharp spade or digging fork, but by digging up a large clump and then teasing apart the roots, making sure shoots are attached to each section.
Other perennials can be divided with the fork or spade technique, in early spring. You can use two pitchforks back to back, or a pitchfork (or digging fork) and a spade to pull apart the root balls.
Try this method with the following plants:
* Yarrow
* Japanese Anemone
* Aster
* Boltania
* Chrysanthemum
* Coreopsis
* Pinks
* Carnation
* Purple Coneflower
* Daylily
* Hosta
* Bee Balm
* Garden Phlox
* Black-eyed Susan
Be sure to water all new plantings and transplants once a week for the first month after they are planted. If your perennials are in a healthy soil, it is not necessary to use a commercial fertilizer on a regular basis.
Instead, consider top-dressing with an organic material such as compost, cow or horse manure, or the bagged product. Spread the organic material about one inch thick, keeping it away from the stems and crown of the plant. If you do use a chemical fertilizer, apply one pound of a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 per 10 x 10 foot square. Then water in the fertilizer. Another tip is too little fertilizer is always better than too much.
Information Courtesy: The April Gardener by Walter Reeves, http://www.walterreeves.com
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Last Edit: April 1, 2009 @ 8:28am by raymond | |
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