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Several varieties of perennials can be divided in order to encourage healthy growth year after year. Although it is not an essential part of gardening and growing perennials, done every so often, the division of your perennials can yield incredible results.
When to Divide Herbaceous Perennials:
- Early spring or fall: This is the best time for most herbaceous perennials as they are in their dormant state and less stressed.
- Avoid hot, dry weather: Don’t attempt dividing during the summer heat as it can be tough on the plants.
How to Divide Herbaceous Perennials:
1. Dig up the entire clump: Carefully loosen the soil around the base of the perennial with a shovel or garden fork. Then, gently lift the entire plant out of the ground.
2. Separate the divisions: There are a couple of ways to achieve this depending on the type of perennial and root structure:
- Small, fibrous-rooted plants (Heuchera, Hosta, Epimedium): You can usually tease these apart gently by hand into smaller clumps for replanting.
- Large, fibrous-rooted perennials (Daylily): Use two garden forks back-to-back, inserted into the crown of the plant. Twist and gently pry the forks apart to loosen and divide the root mass. You can further divide each section using a sharp knife or spade if necessary.
Woody crowned perennials (Hellebore) or fleshy rooted plants (Delphinium):These require a more forceful separation. Use a sharp knife, spade or even an axe to cleave the clump into sections, each with a healthy amount of roots and shoots.
3. Replant the divisions: Dig individual holes for each division, ensuring they are deep enough to accommodate the roots comfortably. Place the division in the hole, spreading the roots out evenly. Refill the hole with soil, firming it gently to remove air pockets. Water the newly planted perennials thoroughly.
By following these steps, you can successfully divide your herbaceous perennials and keep them thriving for years to come.
Here are some additional tips for dividing herbaceous perennials:
- Sharpen your tools: A dull tool can damage the roots, making it harder for the plants to recover.
- Water well before dividing: This will help loosen the soil and make the digging process easier.
- Don’t be afraid to discard weak or diseased sections: When dividing, it’s a good opportunity to remove any unhealthy parts of the plant.
- Water regularly after planting: Especially important during the first few weeks after dividing until the new plants are established.
The benefits of perennial dividing
But why go to all this effort? While the obvious reason for dividing your perennials is to encourage healthy, rigorous growth, this gardening process also offers additional benefits:
- Removing the large clumps that have grown in the middle of your planter or borders over several years can help to prevent the spread of disease throughout your perennial hotspots. While they grow incredibly fast and can provide beautiful displays year on year, the large gathering of perennials can create areas in which disease can thrive – something all gardeners should be working to avoid.
- Similarly, keeping the beds and planters divided every so often will also limit the amount of insect infestation in your garden. Allowing your perennials to thrive without the threat of destruction.
- Some herbaceous perennials are much more aggressive than their counterparts. Keeping them divided and their numbers to a manageable rate means you will have greater control over them potentially wreaking havoc in your garden and overwhelming other varieties.
- Giving them the space they need will mean each individual plant is able to thrive, providing an even greater, more beautiful display. In planters and borders where the perennials are overcrowded, the ability for each individual plant to thrive is sacrificed, often resulting in lack of colour and dimension.
While dividing your perennials is a bigger gardening task, and requires more effort than most, it is certainly beneficial and encourages a healthy and beautiful garden.
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