The great divide

Martyn Cox explains how to divide and conquer your perennials to give them a new lease of life – and provide new plants for free without leaving home

- MARTYN COX

IF left to their own devices, many perennials start to lose their aesthetic value. Plants can become congested, overtake their allotted space or die out in the center of clumps, letting the scene down with their unsightly appearance. Worst of all, some become reluctant to produce a great display of flowers.

Fortunately, most overgrown, tired or awful-looking clumps can be rejuvenated by division – a quick and easy method of propagation that doesn’t require any specialist tools. Essentially, plants are lifted from the ground, split into several smaller pieces and then replanted to establish in warm, moist soil.

It’s most certainly not a job that should be carried out annually on the same plant, but most will benefit from being divided every three to five years, depending on their speed of growth. Among the species that respond well are alstroemeria, aster, bergenia, helianthus, kniphofia, rudbeckia and sedum (Hylotelephium).