Knowing how to divide plants is such a rewarding task because not only does it help your plants to thrive and gives them room to grow but it also results in you having more free plants! Each time you divide your herbaceous perennials, you can plant the divisions elsewhere or even gift to family and friends. We have known people to divide plants when they move house so the plant is left for the new homeowners but part of the plant can also be taken to plant in the new garden. Here are some tips.
1. Know when to divide
If you need to divide your plants, you can actually do it anytime but make sure they are well watered. Success rates are much better if you divide them when they are not in active growth.
- So if you have summer flowering plants, divide them in spring or autumn and if any are particularly tender, wait until spring.
- Spring flowering plants can be divided during the summer after they have flowered.
2. How to divide
It is actually very easy to divide your plants. You can use a garden fork and gently lift them out of the ground. Make sure you can see the roots by shaking off the soil and decide which will be the best way to divide them up. Are there visible smaller plants growing? If so just split them off to replant. Can the rootball be gently separated into smaller clumps? Do you need another garden fork to split the clump into two or more? Once you have divided it will be time to plant them on.
3. Replanting
After you have divided your plants, ideally you will need to replant them straightaway. If you still want to keep some in the same position, plant them back where they were after replenishing the soil or plant them elsewhere in a prepared bed. You could also pot them up and overwinter them undercover. They are generally very easy to care for.
Keep your plants thriving
Now you know how to divide your plants, you will be able to keep a vibrant, thriving garden with a whole lot of free plants! In garden design, using the same plant in numerous places creates a nice flow and you can do exactly that by dividing your plants.
Create your dream garden and find future plants to divide by visiting us in store to pick from our selection.
