Keeping your outside space in top shape requires hefty investment – certainly in time, but often also in money. Buying plants to fill your space, no matter the size, plus replacing them when they die or get diseased, is a pricey endeavour. It needn’t necessarily cost the earth, though, if you’ll pardon the pun! This magic gardening trick can help you double the amount of plants you have for your money, and get your hands on new plants for free!
Dividing plants: A magic gardening trick
Dividing plants is one of the best gardening tricks to keep your plants healthy for longer. It’s a great way to control the growth of your plants and gives you something to do with overgrown chunks you’d otherwise throw away. Over time, routinely dividing your plants will give you a fresh crop of new plants for your garden, without having to spend any more money. Plus, if you know somebody who’s dividing their plants and doesn’t have space for the extras, you can nab them. Just, you know, don’t go digging up your neighbours’ gardens because you’ve spotted a plant you like the look of!
Things to know before you divide your plants
Not all plants are suitable for dividing, and there are a few things you should check before you start digging up your garden. First, check the type of plants you want to divide. Perennials are the best candidates, as they’re designed to come back year after year. Perennial plants include Aster, Japanese Anemone and Primula, to name a few examples.
Then, you’ll need to make sure the plant is dormant. Dividing a plant when it’s active could send it into shock and make it prone to disease or even kill it off. Once a shrub has finished flowering, it will go into dormancy for the winter. Dormant plants can be mistaken for dead ones, so use the snap test to tell the difference. This is pretty much as it sounds – snap a small branch off your plant, and how easy it is and the colour inside will tell you if the plant is dormant or dead. Easy to snap branches that are grey or brown inside are more than likely dead, while more difficult to snap branches that are green or white inside are dormant. Otherwise, you’ll be able to tell from the roots when you start digging. Withered roots are likely dead, while roots that still look plump and juicy belong to a dormant plant, even if it looks dead on the surface.
With these checks complete, you’re ready to start dividing!
Related: How to make your own compost
How to divide plants and get more for your money
Dividing plants is relatively simple, and just requires some patience and gentle handling so that you don’t damage your plant’s root system.
- Lift the plant by carefully loosening the soil around it. It should come out in one piece with the root system in tact.
- Shake off as much loose soil as you can without detaching any of the roots, and remove any dead leaves and stems with your hands, or with secateurs.
- If the plant has any buds, make sure these are all visible before you divide the plant
- Using two hand forks placed back to back near the middle of the plant, gently separate the plant into two sections by pushing the handles back and forth
- Repeat the process with each portion of plant to divide it into as many sections as you wish
- Discard any old, woody material at the centre of the plant
Once you’ve got as many plants as you want from your dividing, then re-plant them as soon as you can. This will prevent the roots from drying out. Make sure you leave plenty of space between plants so they have room to grow, and keep plants well watered as they settle into their new homes.
