Transplanting Perennials

Transplanting perennials is actually very easy to do, and does not usually cause too much stress to a well-established plant. When it comes to backyard landscaping, this is probably one of the activities I engage in the most!

I have transplanted a whole list of perennial flowers, including (links open new windows) bell flowers, lamb’s ear, black-eyed susans, daylilies, and of course a whole host of shade loving perennials…especially my favorite, the hosta.

Transplanting your perennials is a great way to keep the original plant lively and “fresh” and to populate your yard with plants. Talk with your family, friends and neighbors about transplanting perennials, and you may find yourself with some free plants!

Perennials spread and/or multiply every year, making them eventually too large for their original location. For those who don’t have a big enough yard to move the plants around, you may have to find someone to unload them. Or consider selling your perennials! My neighbor makes a nice income from a yearly perennial sale every Memorial Day weekend.

I had a huge hosta planting at my last house, and I wanted to dig them all up. My neighbor and my mom both scored about 20 cuttings each from that reorganization. If you’re doing the math on that, even a small hosta purchased at a garden shop can cost about $5 per plant. 20 times $5 is $100 – that’s a lot of money saved from sharing!

So...you’ve got yourself a perennial, and you want to divide it. How do you do it?

Take a look at the plant and decide which side you’d like to reduce. Is there one area in which it’s encroaching on another plant? Or the lawn? Or it’s uneven on one side?

If you take a plant that’s about 3 feet in diameter, you can easily reduce it to 2 feet without causing too much damage. Some plants will be “sad” initially after the division, but most plants should perk back up again shortly after the separation.

You do also have the option of removing the whole plant chunk by chuck, and relocating it to another part of the yard. I’ve done this many times when I wasn’t happy with the location of a plant.

When transplanting perennials chop off chunks that are at least 6-12 inches in diameter. You want to have enough of the plant and root system to give it a good start in it’s new home.

The easiest way to do this is by positioning a large shovel where you want the plant seperated, and use your foot to push the shovel through the plant, slicing through the plant and roots at that area. Slice through it this way on all 4 sides, and lift the plant and root ball out of the ground.

Make sure you set the root system in water if you’re not going to plant it immediately! I put this statement in bold because it is probably the most important step when it comes to transplanting perennials. It’s always best to plant as quickly as possible, but even more important to make sure those roots have water! I wouldn’t wait more than 1-2 days at the very most to plant the transplants.

1. Identify the area where you’ll place the transplant.

2. Dig a hole that’s slightly larger than the root system of the transplant.

3. Loosen the soil in the hole by digging in to the hole with the shovel. This is to help the root system establish itself in it’s new location.

4. Fill the hole with water! I got this advice from a neighbor of mine. If you only water the plant after it’s fully planted, the water will not be able to reach underneath the plant. Putting water in the hole first ensures that there’s water for the bottom of the root system, and encourages the roots to burrow deeper in the soil.

5. Set the transplant into the hole, and water again.

6. Fill the hole with soil, pressing the soil in firmly around the plant.

6. Place some type of light mulch around the base of the plant so the soil doesn’t wash away when you water it. I like grass clippings or pine needles in a very thin layer for freshly planted plants. You want to make sure that the base of the plant has access to air, so avoid placing too much mulch around the base of the plant.

7. And of course, water again. For the first month after transplanting perennials, you’ll want to make sure that the plant does not dry out. After that you can be more lax with your waterings. Establishing the plant is always the most critical part.

So, after transplanting perennials from the mother plant, you’ll need to fill the holes that you’ve created. Press the soil in firmly in the holes, place some mulch around the plant and give it a good watering. You won’t have to give the mother plant as much attention as the transplants, but I’d make sure to water it at least once a week for the first couple of weeks after transplanting.

That’s it! You’re now a pro at transplanting perennials!

I hope this page will help you get the most out of the perennials in your yard. Happy gardening!

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