Gardeners Grow Together~Week 42 October, 2021: Plants to Divide in Autumn
Welcome to my special gardening page for those of you who like to garden yourselves!
During the growing season, I will make suggestions as to what gardening tasks we need to do. It will help keep you on track--as well as myself!
To keep things simple, I am using the year's weekly number, Week #1 through #52 (example: the week of January 1 is Week #1), instead of specific dates.
So, come on! Let's get our hands dirty!
Week 42:
Plants to Divide in Autumn
Are your flowering perennials overgrown, or do you want more plants? If clump forming perennials are overgrown, they can be safely divided in the fall. It can help to rejuvenate them, make them flower better next year and give you more, free plants to use in other parts of your garden.
Some plants require cutting with a knife or a spade, others can be gently pulled apart with your fingers. Just make sure there is a good root system on each division.
When replanting your new divisions, work in good quality, well-rotted organic matter and fertilizer into the new planting area, then firm in the plant and water in well.
Here are some plants that are easy to grow and divide:
Asters
Perennial Asters are tough plants with large sprays of small, delicate flowers. However, flower production diminishes over time if the plants become over crowded; so, it's best to divide them every few years.
Bee Balm
A favorite of pollinators and people alike, Bee Balm is an easy to grow plant with unusual flowers that look to me like fireworks. These plants can get quite large and multiply quickly, so to keep them in check and to make sure they flower their best, divide them every two or three years.
Daylilies
Daylilies produce individual plantlets with their own root system. They can quickly become over crowded and dense. Dig up the whole clump, shake off as much dirt as possible (or clean them off with a strong spray of water) and gently separate the plants with your fingers. They can then be planted as individual plants, or in groups of three to five plants.
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia are tough and reliable plants that provide beautiful, bright color from summer into fall. By splitting the clumps, you can place new colorful plants about the garden and rejuvenate the original plant.
Lamb's Ears
With their furry, soft, silvery leaves, and tall spikes of tiny lavender/pink flowers, nestled in more silvery foliage, Lambs Ears is a favorite among gardeners of all ages. It is technically a ground cover, but can be grown in clumps, as well, and is very easy to divide. Just cut a clump out of the ground with a sharp spade. After that, you can either plant the whole clump, or it can be sliced up into smaller pieces with a knife or sharp spade to make even more plants.
Now, lets get busy!
If you have any questions, put them in the comments below!
~Lee Ann~
Valmont Valley Farm
Where Beautiful Magic is Always in Bloom
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