Perennial Prime Time

Right now is prime time for dividing your overgrown summer-flowering perennials, so don’t let this opportunity slip by! If you’re not sure where to start, just follow these simple steps:

• Think it over. Decide where in your yard you want to relocate the excess growth. Or, make plans to do a perennial exchange with friends and family!
• Thoroughly water the clumps you plan to divide a few days before Division Day. When the Day arrives, cut all the top growth of the clumps back by half, and dig up the roots.
• Gently tease or break the clumps apart, or cut them with a sharp knife or spade. Make sure each new baby plant has at least one bud or stem and some roots.
• Treat ‘em to this Dandy Division Tonic:  1 can of beer, ¼ cup of instant tea granules, 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid and 2 gallons of water mixed together in a 5-gallon bucket. Let the pieces soak for about 10 minutes or so.
•  Plant your baby plants (or any plants you received in a perennial exchange) into compost-enriched soil, and give ‘em all a good drink of water to settle things in. By next spring, these babies’ll be rarin’ to grow!

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