insideKENT Magazine Issue 90 - September 2019 | Página 109

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH:
SEPTEMBER
Top 10 Jobs This Month Divide Herbaceous Perennials
1. Divide herbaceous perennials
2. Pick autumn raspberries
3. Collect and sow seed from perennials and
hardy annuals
4. Dig up remaining potatoes before slug damage
spoils them
5. Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway
6. Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain
or grey water if possible
7. Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant
watering
8. Clean out cold frames and greenhouses so that
they are ready for use in the autumn
9. Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-
proof netting
10. Plant spring flowering bulbs Dividing perennials regularly will ensur e healthy,
vigorous plants that will continue to perform year
after year. It also offers the opportunity to multiply
your plants. Most perennials benefit from division
every two to thr ee years to maintain health and
vigour. If you want to increase the number of plants
you have by dividing them, the task can be done
more regularly.
These are just a few examples of plants that can be
divided: Ag apanthus, Anemone, Aster, Bergenia
(elephant’s ear s), Con vallaria (lily-of-the-v alley)
Crocosmia, Dierama, Delphinium, Epimedium,
Eryngium (sea holly), Euphorbia, Gentiana (gentian)
Geranium, Helianthus, Hemerocallis (daylily), Hosta,
Iris, Lychnis, Lysichiton, Lysimachia, ornamental
grasses, Primula (primrose) Ranunculus (buttercup),
Salvia, Sedum, Verbena, Zantedeschia (arum lily).
Here are our simple tips for
dividing perennials:
1. Lift plants gently with a g arden fork, working
outwards fr om the cr own’s centr e to limit r oot
damage. Shake off excess soil so that roots are clearly
visible. Some plants, such as Ajuga (bugle), produce
individual plantlets which can simply be teased out
and replanted.
2. Small, fibrous-rooted plants such as Heuchera,
Hosta and Epimedium can be lifted and pulled apart
gently. T his should pr oduce small clumps f or
replanting.
3. Lar ge, fibr ous-rooted per ennials, suc h as
Hemerocallis (daylily), require two g arden forks
inserted into the crown back-to-back. Use these as
levers to loosen and br eak the root mass into tw o
sections. Further division can then take place.
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