How-To

Dividing Plants With Roots That Form Offsets

By Janet Macunovich

Most Popular

To divide a plant whose roots form offsets (small plants growing at the base of a larger one), snap the connection between any of the sections to obtain a piece with ample roots and three or more growing points (or “eyes”). Some denser clumps may have to be cut apart. In this video, author and instructor Janet Macunovich demonstrates dividing perennials with roots that form offsets.

Plants that form offsets include asters (Aster spp. and cvs., USDA Hardiness Zones 4–8), coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea and cvs., Z 3–9), hostas (Hosta spp. and cvs., Z 3–8), and tickseeds (Coreopsis spp. and cvs., Z 4–9).

Related videos

Introduction to Dividing Perennials

Dividing Plants with Surface Roots

Dividing Plants with Taproots

Dividing Plants with Underground Running Roots

Dividing Plants with Woody Roots

Related article

10 Tips on Dividing Perennials

Get our latest tips, how-to articles, and instructional videos sent to your inbox.

View Comments

Comments

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

The Latest

Design

The Secret to Fresh Cut Flowers

As summer sets in, gardeners start to think about cutting stems from our beds and borders to bring inside. Everyone loves to see a gorgeous vase of blooms sitting on…

Design

A Great Place to Visit, but Not to Live | Letter from the Editor

My retirement plan had always been to move to a tropical island. In the past when folks told me they wanted to spend their golden years in Maine, I never…

Garden Photo of the Day

Cynthia's Garden

When we moved to Hamilton, Ohio, in 1998, we purchased the adjacent lot to our north, so we call it the North Lot Garden. The slope above the retaining wall…