previous
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
next

Dividing Plants with Surface Roots

Length: 1:52

Some perennials have roots that run on or just below the surface of the soil. They form new crowns and roots when they reach open spaces or make contact with the soil. If you cut between any of the stems as you would cut a piece of sod from a lawn, you will have a division with its own stems and roots.

Plants with surface roots include bee balms (Monarda spp. and cvs., Z 4–9), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp. and cvs., Z 3–9), creeping sedums (Sedum spp. and cvs., Z 3–9), creeping speedwells (Veronica spp. and cvs., Z 3–8).

In this video, author and instructor Janet Macunovich demonstrates how to divide plants with surface roots.

Related videos
Introduction to Dividing Perennials
Dividing Plants with Roots That Form Offsets 
Dividing Plants with Taproots
Dividing Plants with Underground Running Roots
Dividing Plants with Woody Roots

Related Article
10 Tips on Dividing Perennials

Produced by: Gary Junken