We divide crops for 2 essential causes. First is to rejuvenate. As some crops get older, they bloom much less and are much less vigorous. Dividing rejuvenates them. Second purpose is to get extra crops! Should you love the crops you may have, why purchase extra when you may make extra? Fall is the best time to divide perennials. The cooler climate and the gradual fade to dormancy places significantly much less stress on crops. It is a good factor, as a result of digging up and dividing crops can stress them out.
Images by Pleasure Yagid.
Earlier than you begin digging up crops to divide, do not forget that not each plant could be divided—and of these that may be divided, fall might not be the most effective time to do it. As well as, the way you divide them issues. Method varies relying on the kind of root system every plant has. Crops can have conventional roots (like black-eyed Susans), fibrous clumps (like ostrich ferns), rhizomes (like hostas), crowns (like Joe Pye weed), or tubers (like daylilies).
What You’ll Want
As soon as you already know what could be divided and the way, it’s essential to be sure to have the correct instruments. Past a very good pair of backyard gloves to guard your fingers and perhaps a tarp to include the soil, you’ll need a backyard spade or shovel, a spading fork (or two when you’ve got an enormous job), a pair of pruners, and both a trowel or a hori hori knife (see Instruments of the Commerce: Japanese Backyard Instruments). The hori hori can do double obligation as each a trowel and a knife which explains I want it. One much less software to hold.
Just a few massive empty nursery pots will make it simpler to maneuver the divided crops round or to carry them for just a few days till you resolve what to do with them. Don’t allow them to dry out if you happen to’re not replanting instantly. Once you do replant, give them the most effective begin by digging a gap one and a half to 2 instances the dimensions of the roots, again fill with good high quality backyard soil, and water deeply.