Birds & Blooms Extra! - USA (2020-09)

SEPTEMBER EXTRA 2020 birdsandblooms.com 17

A gardener
splits rudbeckia
with shovels
to create two
smaller plants.

SIZING UP

PLANTS

• Pull small plants apart
  by hand.


• Slice medium-sized
  plants with a sharp
  spade or serrated knife.


• Split large root clumps
  with two spades.

THE MORE,

THE MERRIER

Perennials especially

easy to split:

Ajuga

Aster

Astilbe

Chrysanthemum

Daylily

Goldenrod

Hosta

Leucanthemum

Rudbeckia

Siberian Iris

Yarrow

GAP PHOTOS/JONATHAN BUCKLEY - DEMONSTRATED BY CAROL KLEIN; HOSTA: MALIVAN_IULIIA/SHUTTERSTOCK

To lessen the stress on the

plant, Justin recommends digging

holes for the daughter divisions

before digging up the mother

plant. “That can greatly reduce

the amount of time your plant

is out of the soil with its roots

exposed,” he says.

Justin also advises trimming

plants to compensate for lost

roots. “Roots absorb moisture

for the plants, and leaves release

moisture as they breathe,” he says.

Cut back the foliage to reduce the

burden for the roots and to help

your new plants establish.