🍂 The BEST Time to Move Plants? 🌿 What I've Learned About Fall Transplanting!, by She’s A Mad Gardener on YouTube. 18 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 18 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a mild, overcast fall day, ideally four to six weeks before your first hard frost, so roots settle before winter. In cold climates move spring bloomers now and wait for early spring on tender plants.
Choose a healthy, well-grown clump that has outgrown its space or is crowding neighbours. Skip anything weak, diseased or newly planted.
Water the plant deeply the day before digging so the root ball holds together and the plant copes with the move.
Cut the stems back by about half and dig a wide circle around the clump, keeping as much root as you can. Lift it with the fork, not by pulling the stems.
Split the clump with two forks back to back, or cut through it with a sharp spade. Keep sections with healthy roots and several growing shoots, and discard the woody centre.
Replant the divisions at the same depth they grew before, spacing them according to their final size. Firm the soil around the roots and water well to settle it.
Prepare the new bed first: clear weeds, loosen the soil and mix in compost. Plant straight away so roots are not left drying in the air.
Water the new plants weekly until the ground freezes, and add a light mulch around them, keeping it clear of the stems.
Tips and common mistakes
Never let lifted roots sit in the sun or wind; pot them up or heel them into soil if you cannot replant right away.
Divide only every three to five years, since over-splitting weakens plants and delays flowering.
Label or mark new plantings so you do not dig them up by mistake in spring.
Wear gloves and watch your toes when driving a spade through a dense root ball.
Questions
Can I divide perennials in fall in a cold climate?
Yes, but do it early enough that roots have weeks to settle before the ground freezes. In very cold areas, leave tender or late-flowering plants until spring.
How big should each division be?
Keep a chunk with several shoots and a good mass of roots, roughly the size of your fist or larger. Tiny slivers take years to flower.
Do I need to water after transplanting?
Yes. Water deeply at planting and then weekly until the ground freezes or rain takes over, so new roots do not dry out.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
