Week 4:

IT’S TIME TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER!

Spring is the best time of the year to divide summer and fall flowering perennials. The emerging plants have now sized up enough to see and split, yet there is still plenty of room to tromp around the garden without doing much damage. Most perennials perform better if they are split every three to seven years. There are a few exceptions, most notably peonies who just want to be left alone!

Perennial clumps can be divided by a half, third, or quartered depending on their size. These extra clumps will give you the opportunity to plant in drifts or in other parts of the garden (or to be more popular with neighbors and fellow gardeners!). Always replant at the same depth, water them immediately and keep an eye on moisture during the first growing season. Now go forth and divide…