In the case of these asters, I need not dig up the whole planting, just the smaller clumps that I wish to relocate. Use the spade or fork to dig deep on all four sides of the plant. But upon closer inspection, notice that there are actually multiple small clumps growing close together. From afar, it looked like I had two giant clumps of Stokes Aster ( Stokesia ‘Peachies Pink’). If you intend to gift your divisions to other gardeners, then also have containers, a small spade and potting soil by your side. Prepare by putting in place everything you may need to complete the task: a long-handled spade or digging pitchfork, a sharp knife ( I use an old steak knife from the kitchen), a full watering can or hose, and newly dug holes in the ground. Also, do not divide or dig around plants the same day they have been watered. Dividing or planting most perennials during a hot and/or humid day, such as we tend to have during a Durham summer, is generally not advised. Choose a cool or cloudy spring day or an early fall day. The best time to divide herbaceous perennials is early spring, however bearded iris and Asiatic lilies prefer later summer to early fall and some plants like black-eyed Susan are so resilient they’ll accept division in spring or fall. (If your perennial no longer flowers very well, that is a sure sign that it is crowded and needs to be divided.) Another benefit is that you will have new plants to place in another part of the garden or share with a friend or neighbor. Division can control a plant’s size and invigorate the original plant, assuring that it continues to flower abundantly. This is so true of herbaceous perennials! Before you know it, it is time to divide the perennial into smaller plants.
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