Spring Divisions

Spring Division

For most American gardeners the perennials are showing up after their winter dormancy. This is an ideal time to divide them.

Why Divide Perennials?

As perennials grow they amass a large root system and increase their girth quite substantially. This can have an effect on other perennials in the garden that are not quite as vigorous, and in the case of perennials that self seed as well as accrue mass they can easily dominate the perennial border. Some perennials such as chrysanthemums look wonderful when in full bloom and if given sufficient room, they will be quite happy for many years. Others such as bulbs may need dividing more often. Undivided daffodils and snowdrops will produce an excess of leaves at the cost of blooms. This is a sure sign that they need to be split down into two or more clumps.

How to Divide Perennials

As the perennials emerge, you will see how big they are. If the plant is small and you just want a small piece for a neighbor, then take a trowel or small spade and dig through the plant into the soil beneath to remove a small section. Make sure that the section is large enough to contain sufficient roots for the plant to re-establish itself. If the whole plant is way too large and needs a serious trimming back, then upend the entire plant with a spade. Separate the plant into several smaller pieces and replant one or two, taking the rest to another part of the garden, a friend or the compost.

For Bulbs

For spring bulbs, dig the whole group at one time and look at the bulb structure. You will see several smaller divisions not unlike the cloves of a garlic head. These smaller bulbs will each produce a new plant, so replant them further apart and enjoy more blooms next year. Wait until the bulb has finished flowering before uprooting it, and preferably wait until leaves start to turn brown. Summer alliums and later flowering bulbs can be divided in the spring if the foliage is still young and just emerging. In this case, carefully lift the bulbs and make sure that each section has roots attached.

For Grasses

Some ornamental grasses are small and easily handled. Others such as the Zebra grass and pampas type grasses are large and need dividing regularly. The grass clump itself will not be impaired by leaving it undivided, but the difficulty of splitting down a mature grass plant is horrendous. The grasses form a dense mat of roots that are near impossible to penetrate with a pick axe, much less a spade. Indeed chain saws have had to be used to separate the mass into smaller division! So divide your tall grasses annually and if you need a large visual statement, plant the smaller divisions for a mass effect, rather than let the one grass enlarge its base.

Even Shrubs can be Divided.

Even shrubs can have small divisions taken from them. Look for a multi stemmed shrub that has some stems coming from below the soil surface. Carefully scrap away the soil to see if there are roots attached to that stem. If so, using a sharp spade, carefully dig down to sever the stem plus roots. With small stems a lopper or even clippers may sever the section.

All across the country American gardeners are finding their green thumb again. If your garden is telling you that your plants have multiplied too far, or if you want to share a special plant with a neighbor, now is the time to do it. Gardeners are truly sharing people!