Our very rainy May kept many gardeners out of their beds until early June and even the farmers had some difficulty getting in to plant in their fields. June and July treated us with HOT, dry weather and made it difficult to spend much time working outside during the days of these two months. I know for myself and others that our main gardening activity for June and July has been watering. But now, August is here and with it has come the rain and hopefully some moderating temperatures.

Traditionally we think of spring and fall as the best times to divide blooming plants but July and August work very well for some perennials. Signs that a plant may need to be divided are: over-crowding, dying out in the center, a noticeable reduction of blooms, and shrinking. When a perennial becomes too large it tends to put all of its energy into maintaining its roots, stems, and foliage and there is not as much blooming strength to produce lots of flowers Under stress (such as out extreme heat and drought conditions) an over-crowded plant tends to die back in the center while trying to maintain its peripheral growth.

This summer, my daylilies had a good, thick growth of foliage but produced noticeably fewer blooms than usual. This could be related to the heat and dry conditions, but since it has been several years since I have divided them (and five to seven years is usually the recommended time for dividing daylilies), I think it is time to thin them. Daylilies, Bearded iris, Oriental poppies, and Hardy geraniums can take summer dividing well. Some other perennials that can be divided now are: Bellflower, Bleeding heart, Bugleweed, Columbine, Coral Bells, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Garden phlox (after they finish blooming), hardy geraniums ( a ring of live foliage around a dead center lets you know it is time to divide), Lamb’s ear, Peony (plant the divisions at the same depth as the parent plant), Speedwell, and Yarrow.

The key to successful summer dividing is to water the parent plant well the day before dividing and water the divisions in well after replanting them. Plants to be divided need to be cut back to half their growth so that the roots of the divisions will have much less plant to support when transplanted. After dividing, replant your divisions quickly and cover their roots halfway up in the hole with soil. Water well and add a small amount of liquid fertilizer to the water. Fill the hole the rest of the way and water again. Adding a layer of mulch around each division will also help to keep the soil moist and get the transplant off to a good start.

Divisions that are planted in full sun locations could use some shelter in the heat of the summer until they get well established. A few small stakes pushed onto the soil near the plant with a piece of cardboard attached and angled to keep the hottest sun of the day off of the division each day for about two weeks will give the plant extra protection while it is weak. Water each division twice a day for the first two weeks and water more
if you see any wilting. By fall, you divisions should be well rooted and ready for the winter. Remember too – August is a great time to sow for one more harvest of vegetables before winter comes. Green and yellow beans, radishes, Asian greens and some lettuces can be started now. Plant lettuce in a part shade or filtered light location and keep all of your seeds well watered. Adding some liquid fertilizer to the early watering of your seeds will also help these crops to get off to a good start.

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