Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by Ellen Christian
Wondering how to divide plants? Check out these tips for dividing your plans so that they are healthier and more vibrant.
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I love gardening and spending time outside. If I had my way, I would be at the garden center every day buying new plants, bushes, and flowers. Sadly, I only have so much room in the garden for plants. Each spring, I find myself having to divide the plants because they are getting too crowded.
How to Divide Plants
Not everyone knows that you often need to divide plants to continue to have blooms year after year. When the plants get too crowded, they compete for the nutrients in the soil and they just don’t get enough to be healthy. Dividing them allows them to have the room they need.
Typically, if the plant comes back year after year (perennials), it will need to be divided occasionally.
When your plant has grown to twice its size in about two or three years, it will need to be divided. Today I am dividing and transplanting my Egyptian Walking Onions into their new home.
Spring is the best time to divide plants because the plant’s root system is not as developed.
Dividing plants
- Soak the plants well the day before you plan on dividing them or divide them the day after a good rainfall. It is less shocking to the plant that way.
- Before you dig up your plants to divide them, decide where the ones you dig up will go. Make sure you have a hole dug so the divided plant is out of the ground for as little time as possible.
- Using a shovel with a sharp edge, dig up and lift out the entire plant you want to divide.
- Try to get as much rootball as possible without damaging the plant.
- Starting in the center of the plant, carefully pry the plants apart. If you are working with a large clump, you may need to use two shovels to pry it apart in the center.
- Continue separating until the plant will fit in the area you have prepared for it.
- If you only want to remove a small portion of the plant and it does not have a vast root system (like spreading ground cover), you can simply dig up the part that has spread too far. To avoid shock, you need to water your plant well the day before.
- Replant the new plant in its new location as quickly as possible and water well. Remember not to do this in the hottest part of the day or leave your plant in the sun too long.
When I’m working out in the yard, whether gardening or pruning trees, I make sure that the clothes I wear are comfortable and made for yard work, I want to be able to move freely and be protected simultaneously. Duluth Trading Company makes hot weather workwear designed with athletic-inspired performance technology.
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Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
I can’t plant bulbs of any kind. Chip munks & squirrels dig them up as soon as I plant them and go into the house.
Sometimes they just leave them there for me to see. It’s very discouraging. Any ideas?
Hi Marilyn – Try sprinkling red pepper flakes around the bulbs when you plant them. It won’t hurt the squirrels or chipmunks but they don’t like it either so they won’t try to eat them.
Thanks so much for sharing this in my gardening linky this week! I really need to do this to my day lilies but have never divided plants before! Great tips!
I need to do my day lilies this year too!
Excellent. Thanks for this post. I am needing to divide SO many of our plants. The landscape is very over-run as it was ignored for many years and we are new owners.
Glad to share, Kelly! It seems never ending some days.
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Walking Onions? Never heard of the before. You learn something new everyday! Thank you for sharing on Fluster’s Creative Muster Party!
Robin
Fluster Buster
You’re welcome! They are a lot of fun to grow.
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. Thanks for the dividing tips!
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I divide my saffron crocus
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That must be a challenge. Bulbs really like that cold snap to rest for the next year.
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Thanks!
I’m learning so much about gardening from you! I had no idea about dividing plants. I just thought you could put them wherever LOL. Shows you how little I know about gardening!
LOL always glad to help. You’ll be gardening in no time!
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I would use it on some new overalls and work gloves since the ones I have are basically worn out.
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I would get the “Precision Engraver” for my husband. Also, I’m having issues with my lilies in the garden being too packed together – do you think this would work for them, too? as far as separating? Great post!!
Hi Jamie – Yes, definitely divide the lilies! Make sure you do it before the flower bud forms or wait until next spring!
Thanks Ellen – they are getting really bundled up looking, so this really helped!! 🙂
Thanks, Ellen! I’ll do that.
That reminds me, I need to divide my irises. I suspect that while they’re blooming (they’re gorgeous this year!) is not the time to do it, though.
No definitely not while they’re blooming. You should wait until next year before the bud forms.
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I’ve never heard of walking onions. I’ll have to investigate
They are really cool. In the fall, a little tiny onion bulb will form on the end of the green part. The green part will fall over (or walk) and the little bulb will plant itself and grow a new one next year. I harvest some & leave some to continue the plant’s growth.