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Echinops - division possible?

WiltshireWildWiltshireWild Posts: 64
in Plants
I have an established clump of echinops globe thistle. Its beginning to get too large and I'm scratching my head as to what to do. I hear you cannot dig up echinops because they have a tap root. Indeed i did this once before and the plant promtly died. Is there any solution to this? 

Also, does anyone know if you can chelsea chop echinops. As you can see from the photo, the plant tends to flop a bit late in the season. 



Posts

  • CopperdogCopperdog Posts: 617
    I have never divided ours but it seeds very freely and that makes new plants. I think you can Chelsea chop it too which would make it stand up better but others on here with much more knowledge will be able to advise x
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Mine self-seed too.
    Usually right at the spot where the lawn meets the border 🙄

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    I've dug up echinops ( tjanschanicus giant echinop) and moved them in the past no problem. Give they a wiggle and they'll divide themselves 
  • WiltshireWildWiltshireWild Posts: 64
    thanks for all the advice. Would be great to hear from more people who have tried chelsea chopping.  
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Not something I've tried as I have no need.
    I do do it on asters and heliopsis, when I remember

    I found this - 
    • Chelsea-chop time – If the Nepeta and Sedums are looking leggy then cutback by a third to encourage compact growth that will not collapse later in the season. This can be applied to the lavender, echinops, Echinacea, aster, helenium and salvia too if felt necessary.

    From here-
    https://www.yourmag.co.uk/news/gardening-news-geum-totally-tangerine#:~:text=Chelsea%2Dchop%20time%20%E2%80%93%20If%20the,salvia%20too%20if%20felt%20necessary.

    I also came across this-
    Echinops can readily be grown from seed sown in spring. However, like many perennials with chubby and fleshy roots, the easiest way to propagate them is to lift and divide the clumps or to take root cuttings into the greenhouse in winter and grow them on into growth with bottom heat in a loose compost. This, we find, is more successful than simply replanting pieces of root into the garden.


    From here-
    https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/content.cfm?ref=Echinops+-+Care+Guide#:~:text=Echinops%20can%20readily%20be%20grown,heat%20in%20a%20loose%20compost.

    I took root cuttings from a verbascum around Feb last year and was surprised I got a 100% success rate and they all flowered the same year.




    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    I do Chelsea chop occasionally its mainly for latter flowering plants July onwards . It can help from plants getting to top heavy especially Sedum spectabile . I do heleniums often and sometimes phlox to stagger flowering but its not necessary for phlox. I didn't do any this year with the dry Spring the plants were already stunted , they grown like crazy in the summer though so could of done to give the tall heleniums a trim at least  
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