Prepare to divide and rule
This weekend i’ll be dividing my perennials. it’s a great way to propagate, but also keeps my plants young and healthy. Clump-forming varieties and any with creeping roots divide the easiest.
Dig up mature plants and gently shake soil from the roots. Then pull the plant into halves, quarters and smaller pieces. Loose clumps will come apart in your hands.
For tighter ones, tease clumps apart using two forks back to back or chop them with a spade.
There’s no virtue in replanting huge chunks. small divisions settle faster and grow more vigorously than large ones. Each division should consist of three or four viable shoots and healthy roots.
The youngest and most vigorous divisions come from the outsides of a mature plant. They settle more quickly than aged, central sections which are best discarded. With creeping or ground-cover plants such as Geranium macrorrhizum, stachys or perennial violas, simply remove runners or pieces of rhizome and replant those. October is good for splitting most plants, but there are exceptions. Non-creeping grasses such as
Deschampsia and Stipa or Giant Oat resent autumn disturbance so divide those in spring.
Daffodil and narcissus bulbs will begin to deteriorate if not planted soon. Plant any still in their packs or pot them up as soon as you can. Plant your bulbs with the tops at least 10cm below the surface. When planting, discard any that have become soft or may be rotting.
There’s no need to feed daffodils or narcissuses at planting or when they flower. All the nutrients they need are stored in the bulbs.