@Alfie_ If you have establish patches of hardy geraniums they are often easy to lift and split with a few exceptions. I have found G Rosanne more difficult. Just cut them back and gently tease apart into smaller clumps. If your soil is dry and poor you may wish to mix in some compost. The most important thing is water, probably best to wait for some rain and you will need to water if dry possibly into the winter.
Thanks. So we have a lot of this one on the left which I think is macrorrhizum from looking online - the flowers are gone so difficult to figure out:
We also have large patches of this one which I’m not sure of the variety? The purple flowers are tiny and very prolific in flowering - a combination of which makes dead heading a nightmare. The buds are so small you can sometimes knock unopened buds off just being heavy handed and not even pulling on them:
That second pic is Ger. nodosum. It's a good doer in my garden and seeds itself around without becoming invasive. If yours has been there for a year or two look out for tiny seedlings. They can be dug out, potted up and planted into a new location late spring / early summer.
I tend to do most of my hardy geranium divisions in spring rather than autumn. That's because my soil is very heavy and it can be too wet and cold for a new tiny division to flourish - they often just rot away. Any divisions done in autumn but go into pots to overwinter.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
@Alfie_ G macrorrhizum is a really good plant for dry shade where other plants won't grow. After flowering just take some shears to it and cut back almost to the ground. Water well, in a few weeks it will regrow as a low mat of fresh leaves which will look good through summer and autumn. If you just look at once piece you will see all the places that it will shoot from very easy to propagate The other geranium in the same photo with the purple flowers is probably G Magnificum, I wouldn't worry about deadheading just cut off all the top growth including the deads flowers it will soon pick up and look much neater for the rest of the summer.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
That second pic is Ger. nodosum. It's a good doer in my garden and seeds itself around without becoming invasive. If yours has been there for a year or two look out for tiny seedlings. They can be dug out, potted up and planted into a new location late spring / early summer.
I tend to do most of my hardy geranium divisions in spring rather than autumn. That's because my soil is very heavy and it can be too wet and cold for a new tiny division to flourish - they often just rot away. Any divisions done in autumn but go into pots to overwinter.
Hi, I’ve now got round to digging some geranium patches where I want to put something else and want to pot them up while I figure out where I want to put them. Please could you kindly give advice on how best to divide macrorrhizum. For example, I have this piece below who’s root is too big to put in the pot shown. Can I just cut it where the line is to fit it a pot or is it best to but a large piece of root in? Also, is it a good idea to put multiple pieces like this in a pot if it fits or is it better just one piece per pot? I have about 20 pieces like the one in the picture. When I pot them can I also cut the leaves off as the stems are so tall they flop over the pot? Thanks for any advice offered.
@Alfie_ This geranium is very tough you can lay lots of roots just under the surface of the compost in spring and they will grow.
Yes cut off most of the top growth, do you need to pot them up? I would just put them in the ground as long as the soil isn't too wet. If you prefer to pot up you could root prune and put a few in each pot. I would leave a bit more root than in your photo if you can.
After flowering cut them to the ground and use the top growth for cuttings, any tiny piece will regrow. With water over the next few weeks the original plants will form a lush green mat which will stay neat through to the Autumn and beyond if mild.
Good for dry shade you can soon cover the ground in a difficult area. My favourite is G M White Ness.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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prolific in flowering - a combination of which makes dead heading a nightmare. The buds are so small you can sometimes knock unopened buds off just being heavy handed and not even pulling on them:
The other geranium in the same photo with the purple flowers is probably G Magnificum, I wouldn't worry about deadheading just cut off all the top growth including the deads flowers it will soon pick up and look much neater for the rest of the summer.
Yes cut off most of the top growth, do you need to pot them up? I would just put them in the ground as long as the soil isn't too wet. If you prefer to pot up you could root prune and put a few in each pot. I would leave a bit more root than in your photo if you can.
After flowering cut them to the ground and use the top growth for cuttings, any tiny piece will regrow. With water over the next few weeks the original plants will form a lush green mat which will stay neat through to the Autumn and beyond if mild.
Good for dry shade you can soon cover the ground in a difficult area. My favourite is G M White Ness.