Spring cleaning in the garden is always a revelation and this past week was full of them.  I cleaned out four more beds, filling up my truck bed yet again with another load of material for the community compost.  Where does all of this stuff come from?

Among the many things I discovered was that several of my perennial plants are now in serious need of dividing.  Perennials can be a treat for the senses when they are in their prime, but the variation in their growth habits can be a challenge.  Some grow very slowly and take years to establish, while others grow so vigorously that they can threaten to take over the garden in a very short time.

Most perennials respond well to dividing in early spring, as their new growth begins to emerge out of the soil.  It’s the perfect time for this; the weather is cool and the soil is still moist, root systems are packed with stored energy and will establish quickly, and plants have a full growing season to recover and prepare for winter.

There are several reasons why perennials will need to be divided and it seems as if my garden includes most of these examples:
*Clumps have become “woody” or have died out in the centre.  Roots get old or crowded and can’t take up enough nutrients and water.  Shasta daisies are a classic example of this.

*There is little nutritional value in the soil, due to the size of the clump.  Leaves are stunted and yellow, and blooms are fewer and smaller in size.

*Pesky perennial weeds have invaded the clump and after years of pulling they just can’t be eliminated.

*Poor planning has resulted in plants growing together and competing for nutrition and water.
Start dividing by digging up the entire plant.  Roots can be pulled apart by hand in most instances, but in some cases, where there are very dense, fibrous root systems you may have to resort to a swift and forceful cut with the blade of the shovel in order to get the roots apart.  Some ornamental grasses may even require an axe to separate the clump.

Replant only healthy divisions, and don’t worry about being delicate when dividing perennials, they’re tough.  Your divided piece should include a good chunk of root, plus a growing shoot.  Plan to replant fairly quickly after you’ve divided, or keep the divisions cool and moist until you’re ready.
Resist the temptation to create a few dozen plants out of a clump.  Give away the extras if there are takers, and compost the rest.  Or, pot them up and offer them for sale at your local garden club plant sale later in the spring if they’re looking for plants.

Of all the perennials available there are only a few which should not be divided.  They have woody stems, or their root systems are such that they resent the disturbance.  These include Baby’s Breath, Balloon Flower, Flax, Gentian, Lupine, Monkshood and Russian Sage.

I have several daylilies which are in desperate need of division, plus clumps of irises that threaten to overtake their allotted territory.  Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ has definitely lost some of its vigour over the seasons.  A Geranium ‘Ballerina’ features several blades of quackgrass coming up through the middle and the centre of ornamental oregano seems to have disappeared over winter.  In other words, there is work to be done.  I had better sharpen up the shovel blade.