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When to cut back and split

I have some quite overgrown plants which I'd like to split - when do I do this and is this soon.  I'm thinking of phlox, hosta and lupin.

On all three do I wait for them to die back, then cut them down to the base and then split?

Also what do I do for winter with these plants where they don't need to be split?  Do I cut them down to the ground and if so when or do I wait for them to die back and then just remove the dead parts.

Sorry for the stupid question.  I am a bit anxious about messing this up .

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    In my experience hostas can sulk if split in autumn so I always wait till spring when I can see their pointy noses poking up and then give them a good watering, dig them up and split them.   Make sure their new hole is well prepared with plenty of organic matter - well-rotted garden compost or manure and water well again after planting.

    Re-planting immediately and at the same depth in the soil means they hardly notice tho the very big leaved hostas sometimes make smaller leaves that first season after dividing them.

    As for phlox and lupin, the general rule is if it flowers before July, split in autumn and anything that flowers later than July is best split in spring.

    When the foliage dies down, cut it back and put it on the compost heap so it doesn't provide a home for nasties like slugs and snail which will munch on the lovely new shoots next spring.   Mulch, if you can, with a good layer of well-rotted garden compost or manure to protect the crown of the plants from frosts and also let the beneficial organisms such as worms, beetles and microbes work the goodness into the soil over winter.   
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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