Gardening tips for upcoming months

By Delta George

K-State Research and Extension Bourbon County Extension Agent Agriculture and 4-H

Gardeners it is that time of year again, time to divide flowers and get them ready for the upcoming winter months. The three popular perennials in Kansas are irises, daylilies, and peonies. The purpose of this division is to insure the most growth and brightest flower production for the years to come.

If you have kept up on your divisions, using a spading fork to 'peel' off a fan or two can be done without digging up the entire root system. However, if this process has not been done recently -- within the last 3-4 years -- the best way to divide daylilies is to cut back the leaves to half of their original height to make handling easier; then remove the clumps by digging them up.

There are three methods of division according to Ward Upham, coordinator of K-State Research and Extension's statewide Master Gardener program. The first being to cut the clump apart with a sharp blade, knowing lots of roots will be lost. Secondly, dividing the clump in two using spading forks back to back; and finally, washing away the excess dirt and rolling the clump back and forth until the roots separate.

The sections replanted should be smaller than a cauliflower head, planted at original depth, and 24-30 inches apart. This process needs to be completed on daylilies every three to four years. A reduction in flowers will be seen the first year after a division, but during following years, the numbers will return back to normal.

Irises are usually divided in July and August. While dividing irises, if you can find a double fan -- a large root with two fans growing off of it, that is best. This will mean the plant will bloom much quicker, possibly the year after planting. The iris division will last up to five years if the roots are planted towards the middle of an imaginary circle. According to Upham, it will be time to divide again when the center of the circle becomes bare.

Peonies, on the other hand, may never need to be divided; they may live up to 50 years with out being disturbed. If they do need to be divided, it is best to do it after Sept. 1, but early enough to give them plenty of time to get situated before the ground freezes. Once again, cutting leaves and stems at ground level will help insure easy handling. When replanting divided peonies, make sure there are three to five pink 'eyes' per root. Roots with more eyes may have more top growth than new roots can support and too few eyes may not produce flowers for many years.

Each division should have two to three roots that are 6-8 inches long and a half an inch wide; and plant only roots that look healthy with no evidence of disease. Upham recommends that peonies need a hole that is 18 inches deep and across, refilled half way with a mix that is one part organic material and two parts soil. Then place the roots so the eyes are just below ground level, filling the rest of the hole, packing the soil firmly around the plant, watering thoroughly, and using loose dirt to fill the settled areas. It is important to remember that peonies will not bloom if the eyes are more than 2 inches below ground level, and need three to four feet of space to prevent overcrowding.

Upham has stated that peonies and irises may never need to be divided but the display may look better if this practice is done. Daylilies, on the other hand, maintain vigor if divided every three to four years. This may be harder the first year if division had not been completed, but subsequent divisions may take place without up-rooting the entire plant.

Editor's Note: Delta George is a K-State Research and Extension agriculture and 4-H extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She may be reached at (620) 223-3720.