It’s the perfect weather to get outside and work on your garden. The temperatures aren’t too cold, the ground is still soft, and plants are entering their dormant phase.  This is the time to divide perennials and prune some of your trees and shrubs.  

Dividing is simply separating the roots to create another plant or two from the original.  Pruning removes dead or old growth from a plant, invigorating it to grow.  

Here are some tips when you divide and prune your plants:    

Divide and Conquer

1.      Keep Your Tools Clean
Before and after dividing your plants, clean your tools to reduce the spread of disease.  Also make sure your tools are sharp and strong enough to do the job right. If it becomes too difficult, you may need larger or different tools.  

2.     Hydrate and Stimulate the Roots

Water plants thoroughly before you begin.  Once you remove the plant from the ground, the roots begin to dry out, so it should be well hydrated for this process.  It also makes it easier to dig the plant when the ground is wet.  After transplanting, water again thoroughly, and keep plants watered until the ground freezes.  That could be as late as mid-December. 

An application of Espoma Biotone Plant Starter will reduce transplant shock and promote a stronger root system.   Be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions.

3.     When to Divide
It is best to divide perennials when they are dormant – fall, or early spring before they being sprouting.  In early spring, your plants will need time to adjust before they begin growing.

4.      How to Divide
Use a spade or shovel to cut around the plant and lift it out of the ground.  Use a knife, spade or digging forks to split the root ball in half.  Divide the pieces again, if necessary, but leave at least 6 shoots on each division. 

Prune dead or woody shots. Place each new plant in its hole so the crown (where the stems emerge) remains just above soil level. Fill with soil around the roots; then water thoroughly.

 5.     Use “Tone,” not Fertilizer

For an added boost, use Espoma’s “Tone” products, such as BioTone, Plant Tone, and Holly Tone, rather than an all-purpose or bloom-boosting fertilizer.  Espoma’s “Tone” products are all natural and will help re-establish the plant. A fertilizer with high nitrogen will encourage growth, which is not our goal right now.  

Prune to Achieve Beauty

6.    “Prune After it Blooms”

A good rule of thumb is to prune a plant once it finishes blooming.

 In Early Spring – prune ornamental grasses, semi-woody perennials, boxwoods, holly, firethorn;  woody vines such as summer and fall-blooming clematis; roses, and summer-flowering trees & shrubs
In Spring/Early Summer – prune evergreen shrubs, forsythia, rhododendrons, and other spring-flowering shrubs
In mid-Summer/Fall – dead head flowering perennials and flowering annuals
In the Winter – prune deciduous or evergreen trees.  Don’t prune evergreens after July 4^th or before Halloween.

7.    The Types of Pruning

Pruning encourages new growth in perennials, shrubs, and trees. For every type of plant, there is a proper way to prune.  

Thinning:  Perfect for trees and shrubs to remove entire branches or limbs.  This allows for better circulation and reduces crowding.  Always cut at a slight angle and leave about ¼ inch of the shoot above the bud – not a long stub.

Shearing: Ideal for boxwoods and yews, use scissor-like pruning shears to keep hedges straight and neat. 

Be sure the use the right tools that are sharp and strong enough for each type of pruning. We have an excellent assortment of pruning shears, bypass pruners, loppers, and pruning saws in store.

8.     What to Prune

The trick to pruning correctly is knowing exactly what to cut. Remove any crossing branches or inward growing branches that make the plant look uneven.

Prune old wood, and competing leaders, which are branches that extend high above the rest.

Prune lateral growth on berry plants after they’ve been established two years. 

Remove water sprouts that develop on trees in unwanted areas.  Cut completely back to the main trunk or base.

For advice in planting instructions, click here for more information. 

All of the above tips came from English Gardens’ free seminar: Plant Care Tips on Dividing. To learn more and attend one of our upcoming free seminars, check out the schedule at www.EnglishGardens.com/events