Most perennials start to lose their vigour and health once they have become too crowded, which is something you should start to look out for after 3 to 4 years. Over time, flowering falters as tightly packed clumps can harbour nasty pests and diseases. Dividing tends to give them back their vibrancy and will increase their flower yield in the following seasons.
Virtually any multi-stemmed perennial can be divided and it is very easy to do. Just dig up the clump, roots and all and then carefully split it into fist sized sections.
New ways to plant them.
Patio Containers and Pots
Pot up any clump of perennials in an ornamental container or similar and place it in a much loved spot so that you can appreciate it when it flowers. Long flowering species such as Astilbe or Liatris are good performers or for scent try Convallaria (Lily of the Valley).
Create more impact
Make larger blobs of your favourite plants by splitting the original clump (size permitting) into odd numbers (fives or sevens). Replant them in the area you want to cover allowing 20-40cm between them, depending on how rampant the plant is.
Re-style your borders
Re-plant the split clumps to create narrow, flowing swathes through the border. Alternatively place them as individuals throughout the garden.
Swap or share with friends
Try trading your split clumps with a neighbour or gardening friend. This is a very cheap way of getting new varieties into your garden.
Pot them up for later
Pot up the clumps into 2 litre pots or larger and keep them by the greenhouse or in a suitable part of the garden until you have more space to plant out into the garden. You can of course even use the container for producing a super show when they are flowering.
Enjoy some out of season blooms
Pot up the clumps and place them in a cool greenhouse. With just a little protection and warmth they’ll flower much earlier than the plants. After flowering they can be returned to borders to provide a bit of extra colour. If you’re going to plant them back into the garden before mid May let them harden up first.
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