20 Perennials You Can Divide Right Now for Free Plants (No Nursery Needed), by Healthy Root on YouTube. 28 min 2 s.
- Video length
- 28 min 2 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check the plant needs it. Divide when the clump is too big, the middle has stopped blooming, the center has gone woody and bare, or growth is thin and floppy.
Pick the right season. Divide spring and early-summer bloomers in fall, and fall bloomers in spring. Aim for about 4 to 6 weeks before your ground freezes.
Water the plant deeply the day before. Cut the stems back to about 15 cm so you can see the crown and handle the clump easily.
Dig a wide circle around the clump, about 15 cm outside the outer stems. Lift the whole root ball with the spade and set it on a tarp.
Split the clump with a sharp knife or two back-to-back forks. Keep pieces with healthy roots and 2 to 3 strong shoots each, and cut away the woody center.
Replant the best piece at the same depth it grew before. Space the rest around the garden, firm the soil, and water well to settle the roots.
Mulch lightly and keep watering through dry spells until the ground freezes. Label each piece so you know what comes up in spring.
Leave taprooted plants alone, such as baptisia, butterfly weed, milkweed and lupine. Wait until spring for fall bloomers like asters and mums.
Tips and common mistakes
Divide bearded iris about 4 to 8 weeks after it blooms, and keep peony pieces shallow with 3 to 5 eyes each.
If you missed the fall window in a cold zone, spring is the backup for almost every plant on the list.
Do not bury the crown too deep, or the plant may rot over winter.
Water new divisions through their first dry spells, but never let them sit in soggy soil.
Questions
When exactly should I divide in autumn?
About 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes. In zones 3 to 6 that is mid-September to mid-October, and in zones 8 to 10 late October to early November works.
Which plants should I not divide?
Skip deep taproot plants like baptisia, butterfly weed, milkweed and lupine. Also wait until spring for fall bloomers such as asters and mums.
What do I do with the extra pieces?
Replant them in bare spots, pot them up for friends, or trade them. Keep each piece watered until it settles in.
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.
