By Kris Wetherbee | March 2008

• Introduction
• Finding the right spot
• After the fact
• What to plant
• Conquer and divide
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Conquer and divide

An easy way to find new plants for the empty spaces in your yard is to divide certain perennials that already exist in your garden.
September is a great time to dig in and divide perennials, such as asters, chrysanthemums, daylilies, iris, liatris, rudbeckias, and ornamental grasses. Divide and replant perennials with vigorous clumps, barren or dead centers, and those whose flowers have become smaller or less abundant.

The steps are basically the same whether the plant grows from rhizomes, such as iris, has tuberous roots, such as daylilies, or are more fibrous, such as rudbeckia.

Dig up the plant on a cloudy day, keeping as much of the roots intact as possible. Remove any loose soil so you can see the crown and roots, then divide the plant into smaller clumps using a sharp spade or sturdy knife, discarding any dead centers to the compost pile.

Each division should have at least two to five vigorous shoots with ample roots attached. Cut back remaining foliage to half the plant’s height, then immediately replant the divided pieces into their new location.

Any extras can be planted in potting soil in large pots and later given as gifts to friends and family.

Kris Wetherbee is a writer and gardener in Oregon.