Multiplication by Division: Creating More Plants For Your Garden

I was bitten by the gardening bug early in life and through the years I have developed quite an addiction to collecting plants. When we bought our first home, it had a large empty yard that begged to be planted. After just a few trips to the nursery, I had already spent all the money we had budgeted for landscaping.

Bearing that in mind, you can imagine my delight to read about “multiplication by division” in a gardening book I had checked out of the library. It explained the simple process of dividing perennials. The book explained that the three main reasons for dividing perennials are to control the size of the plants, to help rejuvenate them, and to increase their number. It said that dividing will keep plants vigorous and blooming freely.

What really caught my attention, however, was where it said one could easily divide one plant into four or five plants that could be replanted or shared with friends. It was at that point I started helping my friends divide their perennials in exchange for extra plants. It was a win-win situation.

The process of dividing a perennial is simple:

1. Dig the plant to be divided, taking care not to damage the roots.

2. Gently shake off loose soil and remove dead leaves and stems.

3. Separate plants using your hands, a garden spade, fork or knife.

4. Discard the center of the clump if weak and woody.

5. Divide the vigorous plants into clumps of three to five shoots each.

6. Bearded irises should retain a few inches of rhizome and one fan of leaves, trimmed back halfway.

7. Prepare your garden soil by adding compost, peat moss or aged manure, along with a light application of super phosphate or bone meal.

8. Replant the divided sections to their original depth.

9. Label your new plants and water thoroughly.

10. Apply winter mulch after the soil temperature drops following several killing frosts.

Most perennials are easily divided, however, ones with taproots such as butterfly weed and baptisia will not tolerate it. Easily divided perennials include hosta, daylily, iris, black-eye Susan, phlox and ornamental grasses.

Even if you don’t have plants to divide, you can benefit from the “multiplication by division” process. Help friends divide their perennials in exchange for plants or better yet, support your local garden clubs and Master Gardener associations by attending their plant sales most of which contain “passalong” plants divided from the members’ yards offered at great prices.

Visit the Norcross Garden Club’s annual plant sale on April 30th at 33 College Street in Historic Norcross. The club members will have perennials such as daylilies, hosta, iris and black-eye Susan as well as spring bedding plants available for purchase. Also, the Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Plant sale is May 7th in Lawrenceville. Call 678-377-4010 for more information.