Comprehensive Guide to Dividing and Propagating Perennial Plants

How to Multiply

Dividing and propagating perennial plants is a rewarding and cost-effective way to expand your garden, rejuvenate mature plants, and share the beauty of your garden with others. This step-by-step guide will explore dividing and propagating six popular perennial plants: Hostas, Red Hot Pokers, Iris, Daylilies, Phlox, and Blanket Flowers. Each plant has unique characteristics and requirements, making them excellent candidates for propagation. By following these instructions, you can multiply your perennial garden and enjoy an abundance of blooms yearly.

Step 1: Gather Your Tools and Materials

Before you start dividing and propagating perennials, gather the necessary tools and materials: Sharp garden spade or shovel Pruning shears or garden scissors Garden gloves Buckets or containers for plant divisions Potting soil or compost Small pots or containers Watering can or hose Labels and marker

Step 2: Choose the Right Time

Timing is crucial when dividing and propagating perennials. The best time to do this is typically in the spring or fall when the plants are not actively blooming. Each perennial has its specific timing requirements, so let's explore them individually:

  • Hostas: Spring or Early Fall Hostas are hardy perennials that can be divided every 3-4 years. Wait until the new shoots are about 2-4 inches tall in the spring or after they have finished flowering in early fall.
  • Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia): Spring or Late Fall Divide Red Hot Pokers in the spring before new growth starts or when they are dormant in late fall. Spring is generally preferable.
  • Iris: Late Summer Irises should be divided in late summer, typically 4-6 weeks after they finish flowering. Separating them allows time for the divisions to establish roots before winter.
  • Daylilies: Spring or Late Summer Daylilies can be divided in the spring as new growth emerges or in late summer after blooming.
  • Phlox: Spring or Early Fall Divide Phlox in the spring as new growth appears or in early fall when the weather is cooler.
  • Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia): Spring or Late Fall Blanket Flowers can be divided in the spring as new growth begins or dormant in late fall.

Step 3: Prepare the Perennial Plants

Before dividing your perennials, water them thoroughly a day or two in advance. Watering them makes the soil stick together and makes the division process easier. Additionally, trim back any dead or damaged foliage to make it easier to see the plant's structure.

Step 4: Dig Up the Perennial

Use a sharp garden spade or shovel to dig up the entire perennial plant carefully. Dig around the plant, keeping a comfortable distance from the outermost leaves. Be sure to dig deep enough to avoid damaging the roots.

Step 5: Divide the Perennial Plant

Once you've lifted the entire plant, it's time to divide it into smaller sections. The method of division depends on the plant:

  • Hostas: Gently tease apart the clumps, ensuring each division has several healthy shoots and roots. You can use a clean knife to cut through the rhizomes.
  • Red Hot Pokers: Use a shovel or knife to separate the clumps, ensuring each division has roots and a crown portion.
  • Iris: Carefully break apart the rhizomes by hand, discarding old or unhealthy sections. Each division should have a fan of leaves and roots.
  • Daylilies: Separate the clumps by hand or with a knife, ensuring each division has roots and several fans of leaves.
  • Phlox: Divide Phlox by gently pulling the clumps apart or using a knife. Each division should have roots and several stems.
  • Blanket Flowers: Handly separate the clumps, ensuring each division has roots and a crown portion.

Step 6: Plant the Divisions

Plant the divisions immediately in their new locations or containers. Make sure the soil is well-draining and enriched with compost or potting soil. Dig a hole slightly larger than the division and place it in the hole at the same depth it was previously growing. Water thoroughly after planting.

Step 7: Label and Maintain

Label each division with the plant's name and date of division. This helps you keep track of your garden's layout and ensures you can identify each plant. Water the divisions regularly, especially in the weeks following transplantation, to help them establish strong roots.

Step 8: Care and Maintenance

Care for your divided perennials throughout the growing season by providing adequate water, sunlight, and nutrients. Mulching around the plants conserves moisture and suppresses weeds.

Following these steps, you can successfully divide and propagate perennials like Hosta's, Red Hot Pokers, Butterfly Weed, Daylilies, California Bluebell, and Blanket Flowers. This enhances your garden and allows you to share plants with friends and fellow gardeners. Your divided perennials will thrive and provide years of enjoyment with proper care. Happy gardening!

 

hosta plant - TN Nursery

Hosta

Hostas are shade-loving perennials known for their large, heart-shaped, and often variegated leaves and spikes of bell-shaped flowers, making them popular choices for garden borders and landscaping in low-light areas. They are renowned for their lush foliage and graceful appearance, which offer many benefits when incorporated into landscaping designs. These versatile perennials have gained popularity for their ability to enhance outdoor spaces with their aesthetic appeal, adaptability, and ease of maintenance. Hosta is an attractive herbaceous plant that can grow up to 4 feet in height, although a height of 18 inches is more common. There are several species of them, each with slight differences in leaf color. Each species has a different bloom, making exceptional focal points in any garden. Hosta Has Stunning Leaves The type seen most commonly in the United States is the "Keepsake." The charming green leaves ringed with yellow accents are popular because of their hardiness in different climates and the beautiful vistas they create in a garden. Sometimes, the lighter color rings are shades of white rather than yellow, but they don't lose any eye-catching effects. They have leaves of a single color, usually dark green. All their leaves are sturdy and ribbed, even if they're longer and tapered rather than cheerfully oval. Most versions have pretty purple or white flowers that bloom in the early summer through the beginning of fall. The flower buds form in the middle of spring and are generally the same color as the flowers. Even when they're just budding, they are beautiful plants that complement everything else in the garden. Once the buds bloom, the flowers form trumpet, bell, or elongated pendulous shapes. Only one version of these flowers has a strong scent, called the "August Lily." It's a shy flower, blooming in the evening and closing up again by morning, so it'll brighten up any garden when the sun goes down. Hosta Does Great With Other Plants When they are surrounded by flowers of similar colors, such as California bluebells for the species with violet flowers or tuberose for the white-flowered species, it creates a breathtaking effect. Alternating the various species in concentric rings would increase their appeal and let them truly shine. This Hosta Is Good for Pollinators Hosta blooms are essential for pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The flowers provide nectar, and the leaves collect dew in the mornings, allowing these little creatures to drink while visiting the garden.

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15 Assorted Daylillies - 5 Plants Each - Red, Orange and Yellow - TN Nursery

15 Assorted Daylillies - 5 Plants Each - Red, Orange and Yellow

Assorted Daylillies are a popular choice for landscaping due to their vibrant blooms, ease of care, and versatility. These perennial plants offer numerous benefits that make daylilies an excellent addition to any garden or landscape design. Daylilies provide various advantages, from their wide range of colors and patterns to their adaptability to different soil conditions. Get 5 Daylilies, Each In Red, Orange, and Yellow Stella De Oro. This plant ships bare-root and dormant (no leaves or foliage). It will not green out until next spring. 15 Assorted Daylillies In Vibrant Colors Adding 15 assorted daylillies - 5 plants each - red, orange, and yellow - will make your yard vibrant and colorful. Daylilies come in a rainbow of hues and patterns, including self, blend, polychrome, baritone, bicolor, and banded. Their blossoms can be a mixture of colors, like purple and gold, or a combination of scarlet and lemon. Some daylilies can grow up to four feet tall. They typically bloom between mid-spring and early autumn, with June being their most prolific month. Even though each bloom only lasts a day, it can take a month or longer for all blooming. Create Havens for Pollinators With Our Assorted Daylillies These flowers are beautiful additions to rock, butterfly, and children's gardens. Butterflies and hummingbirds are just two of the many pollinators that daylilies attract with their nectar and pollen. The blue, lemon, and purple flowers draw in lots of bees. These plants rely on pollination to reproduce and create fruit. Because the daylily fruit is a loculicidal capsule, its walls ripen and crack to release the seeds. Design Vibrant Walkways and Borders With Our Assorted Daylillies One of the many uses for daylilies is as a border plant, but they also look lovely scattered around a garden. They work exceptionally well, filling empty spaces in flower beds and sloped banks. They encourage people to stay on the designated path when used as walkway edges. It's common to see them planted along fences, walkways, terraces, and curbsides. Another option is to grow these flowers around a foundation. Their leaves complement a variety of other flowers, like rhododendrons, boxwoods, and evergreens. Daylilies are excellent weed suppressants because their dense foliage smothers and eventually kills most weeds. Another way they help get rid of weeds is by blocking photosynthesis. This means the weeds can't obtain the nutrients (carbohydrates) they need to grow, so they die. Planting 15 assorted daylillies - 5 plants each - will kill young, immature weeds.

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Blanket Flower - TN Nursery

Blanket Flower

Blanket Flower is a perennial wildflower known for its vibrant, daisy-like blooms with red or yellow petals and dark center disks. Often found in prairies and gardens, it attracts pollinators and adds color to landscapes. This plant is the perfect choice when craving warmth. This radiant wildflower with an extended blooming season will light up your garden with a kaleidoscope of glowing colors. Why Choose The Blanket Flower Blanket Flower, or Gaillardia, is a sun-loving perennial with stunning two-toned daisy-like blooms. The name "Blanket Flower" interestingly comes from its warm yet vibrant red and yellow blooms, which are similar to the blankets Native Americans make.  This wildflower plant belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy) family and is native to North and South America. It is commonly found in Arizona, California, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, and Colorado. Blanket Flowers Resembles Daisy Perennials While it may resemble a daisy, blanket flowers are related to sunflowers and brighten up the dullest landscapes. The plant is usually paired with other drought-tolerant plants and showy grass to enhance the visual interest of the entire landscape. Moreover, blanket flowers for sale come in various warm shades and a few fabulous shades, making them a statement piece in the garden. Features of Blanket Flower Plant The plant grows best in total sun exposure, sandy areas, and poor soil. The poorer the soil, the more blooms it will grow.  The blanket flower features blooms in various colors, such as orange, purple, red, yellow, and White. Depending on the season, the foliage can be either blue-green or gray-silver.  This ornamental plant can reach 1-3 feet in height and 1-2 feet in width. Water the plant every other day during the first growing period until you see flowers. Once established, it's easy to care for and does not require regular watering to stay alive.  The Blanket flower is ecosystem booster, so it love pollinators, birds, and other wildlife Though people with sensitive skin may experience skin irritation, the plant is non-toxic to humans and animals. This vibrant perennial pairs well with low-maintenance and drought-tolerant perennials, like Butterfly Weed, Yarrow, and Daylily. So, along with blanket flower plants for sale, check out other companion plants at T.N. Nursery. 

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