If you're looking to fill in bare spots in your garden this season, dividing your plants is a good way to do it. Not only is it free, you've also got more of the plants you already love.
Take a look at your strappy plants like agapanthus, iris, daylily, clivia, thrift, fortnight lily, lirope and such. Dividing these types of plants is easy.
Grasses are easily divided, too, though you should note they can be difficult to get out of the ground. Evolved to hang on during the highest winds, grasses can have roots that only give way with sharp shovels.
Leafy plants that are easily divided are alstroemeria, asters, catmint, chrysanthemum, Shasta daisy, hosta, succulents, ajuga, true geraniums, hellebore, lamb's ear, yarrow, ferns and bergenia.
The idea is to dig them up, divide them into more plants and spread the love around your landscape.
Dividing plants in the fall gives them the best chance to recover from this abuse before they are expected to perform next spring and summer. And chances are that even though you dig the biggest root ball of all, you could be leaving behind the finest and furthest feeding roots that the plants need to survive. Plants will need to regenerate these fine feeding roots to get growing again, and mild temperatures and winter rain in the near future give them an advantage.
If your ground is very hard, soak it for an hour or so and let it dry for about three days before you begin. That way, the soil is soft enough to get a large root ball out of the ground.
While you're waiting, sharpen your shovels with a file. It's interesting that so few of us do this, but it makes a huge difference during the heavy October digging season.
Dig big. The bigger the root ball you dig out, the better the chance that you're including some of the fine feeding roots that are hard to see, but necessary for the plant to get re-established. The biggest roots you find are the anchor roots and don't do much to feed the plant. Dig a root ball that includes the finer roots, too.
Dig wide and include as many fine roots as you can. Don't pull.
Once you have your plant out of the ground, place it on a tarp and keep it cool, moist and covered until you're ready to plant.
Some plants will have a loose root structure that is easy to pull apart in sections. Other will need to be cut. My favorite tool for cutting roots is the serrated knife in my kitchen.
Divide your plants into two to four sections, depending on the size of the new starts you want. Remember that small divisions take longer to fill in, but could be a good idea for fast-growing plants.
Trim some of the top growth back. Small severed roots cannot support large leafy tops. Help the plant get established by trimming the top growth to equal the mass of the new root ball.
With plants out of the ground, it is time to consider the soil in the area where you are going to plant.
Loosen clay soils with plenty of organic compost, amendments and rice hulls (from feed and tack stores). Add substance to sandy soils with the same ingredients.
Don't fertilize now. You won't want to encourage new growth that is susceptible to frost damage if and when it occurs in a matter of weeks.
Replant your divisions at the same level they were growing previously in your garden. You'll notice that irises, for example, grow even with the soil surface. Try to mimic the depth the plant was growing previously.
Keep your divisions moist until the rainy season begins, or pot them up and share them with your neighbors and garden friends. Everybody likes free plants.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.org