Dividing & Moving Perennials

If you're keeping up with our March Garden Task Checklist, you'll have noticed that one of your landscaping tasks for this month is to divide & move your clumping perennials like hostas, daylilies, coneflowers, bee balm, phlox, iris, yarrow, sedum, ferns, and grasses. I understand this takes some effort, so let me convince you why this is worth doing this spring.

Let’s start off with division frequency. Let’s be clear, this isn’t a yearly chore. Clumping perennials should be divided every 3-5 years. Similar to your Mother in Law’s Tongue houseplant that can literally break through a plastic pot when too crowded, your flowering perennials also can get too dense for their own good. Newly divided plants go through their own transformation, so let’s explore some of the effects to expect. 

1. Did you know crowded perennials won’t flower as much as they used to? Frequent division = more flowers

2. By dividing your plants, you’re also rejuvenating them! By splitting woody or sparse centers, you’ll encourage the plant to quickly grow new shoots and leaves, leading to more youthful & vibrant plants.

3. As you may notice when dividing, the plant’s roots may be tough to break through. Overcrowded roots are an issue because that means the plant is competing with itself for vital nutrients, air, and water. Imagine the relief of your plant when you place it in a new spot where it has plenty of room to breathe & spread out. It’s like coming home from work and immediately putting your comfy pants on… pure bliss.  

4. Fast growing perennials like catmint, beebalm, daylilies, and hostas may take over neighboring plants if not divided often enough. Keep your surrounding landscape plants happy & healthy by keeping a consistent division schedule on these spreaders. 

5. This isn’t an effect on the plant so much as it is your curb appeal, but free plants! By dividing, naturally you’re left with clumps of plants that need a new home. One of the keys to a cohesive landscape is repetition. By reusing the same (free!) plants in your landscaping, you’ll create curb appeal that looks lush, mature, and beautiful.

Spring is a great time to divide because your plants are actively growing. By dividing when you see the first little green leaves shoot out of the ground, you’re giving your plant the best chance to recover before it switches its energy output into flowering. 

Now that you’re convinced to reap the benefits of dividing this spring, let’s get into the how-to. 

1. 
   Dig around the base of the plant with a shovel to loosen the root ball so it can be lifted

2. With a spade or pitchfork, push all the way down through the middle of the root clump to divide the ball into 2 halves. Don’t worry about trying to be gentle, they can handle it!

3. From there, depending on the size of your clumps, if you want to divide further into 4 small root balls, go crazy. 

1. For rhizomatous plants like iris, you can divide after flowering. Divide the rhizomes into sections making sure that each section has a fan of leaves. 

4. Now, you’re ready to re-plant your plants. Plant your divisions as you would a plant you just got from the nursery. Add some compost or amendment for extra strength, and you’re done!

If you have any questions on your specific landscape, stop by Sunshine Garden Center and ask for Courtney, or email info@sunshinegardencenter.com.