Multiply your plantings by division!

The math might sound a bit strange. Yet, it’s true.

This is the best time of year to multiply your plantings … by division.

Many perennials can safely be cut in half (or quarters) and replanted. One large plant becomes two, or four, smaller ones. You can gain more greenery without spending a dime in Brookfield, New Berlin and Elm Grove, WI.

For plants that have grown too large, dividing takes care of the problem. The smaller plants live on, in the same space as before.

Be sure to take the entire plant from the ground before dividing. Slice right down the middle, either into halves or quarters (depending on size). Go all the way through the roots.

Use the newly-multiplied plants to replace others that didn’t survive summer’s drought. Fill open areas in a planting bed or two. With fall growing season upon us, the offshoots will get rooted, and be ready to take off in spring.

The list of eligible species is extensive: hostas. Lilies. Coneflowers. Sedums. Black-eyed susans. If a perennial is large enough, chances are it can be divided. Sharpen the shovel and get to work.

Replanting is easy. Don’t bury the divided sections too deep, though. Roots closer to the soil surface can access nutrients easier. If you’re using mulch, be sure to account for its extra inch or so of soil height. Don’t forget to water right afterward.

Dividing perennials is an easy way to generate additional future blooms, by using what’s available now. Sure, multiplying by dividing makes for curious math. Yet, nature always makes the numbers work.