Your Guide For Dividing Flowers In The Spring: Everything You Need To Know

Spring is the season when your garden comes alive again and all your flowers start to show signs of new growth. The perfect time to divide the flowers in your yard is just as those new shoots appear. This allows you to rejuvenate the existing clumps and provides you with an abundance of new plants you can relocate to other parts of your garden, or even give away to family and friends. Dividing flowers in spring is not that difficult if you follow this guide. By the end, you'll learn everything you need to know about dividing your flowers with ease.

Many of the flowering plants growing in your garden can easily be divided because they naturally form clumps that will get larger and larger from year to year. Splitting them is good practice because the smaller plant sections will respond with vigorous growth and many more blooms due to better availability of nutrients and water. By reducing overcrowding, you're also increasing the airflow around your plants, making them less prone to disease. Some of the most common flowers that should be divided in spring include anemones, bee balm, delphiniums, plantain lilies, dianthus, and yarrow. However, do note that some flowering perennials should be divided in the fall, like irises and peonies. And while you're looking around your garden and selecting which flowers you want to divide, familiarize yourself with those perennials you should avoid dividing at all costs.

To begin your divisions, first dig the whole plant out of the ground, making sure the entire root ball is intact. This is best done after rain so the soil is easy to dig. At this point, it's beneficial to shake off some of the loose soil so that you can clearly see where to make the cuts. Now split the clump into smaller sections, making sure each part has a few fresh new shoots and healthy roots. You can use a sharp knife or a spade for this. Some species can even be gently teased into individual sections using your hands.

Once you have all your divisions, it's time to replant them immediately so the roots can re-establish themselves in their new location. When planting, ensure that the new plants are at an identical depth to what they were previously. Water your flowers well to allow the soil to settle around the roots and add a layer of mulch to help retain a bit of moisture. If you have too many divisions for your garden space, or you can't replant them straight away, pot the new plants into separate containers using a good quality potting mix and ensure you keep them watered. These can be replanted when space becomes available or gifted to an aspiring gardening friend. The best plants to pass along to beginner gardeners after dividing them in spring include phlox, chrysanthemums, and coreopsis.