Perennials

November 2012

I need to move some peonies from a spot that has become too shady to one that receives more sun. Is it time to move them now or must I wait until later?

Go ahead and move them. Make sure that you replant in a sunny location and plant them shallowly. The eyes on the root system should be no deeper than ½ inch. If the location they have been in is too shady, chances are they will not bloom this coming year because they didn’t set any flowers—plus they often don’t bloom the year after a move anyway.

January 2012

I have 3 or 4 large hostas plants that have gotten too big for the area where they are currently planted. When is it a good time to dig these up and relocate them. Also, is there anything extra I need to do to insure the plants will re-establish themselves.

Hostas are quite easy to divide and replant. When you see signs of them emerging in the spring, dig up the clump and cut between divisions. I find a serrated bread knife does the best trick, but anything that makes a nice clean cut will work. Leave two or three crowns per division. A crown of a plant is the area where the stems meet the roots. When hostas get growing, they often can have six or more crowns in each plant. If you over-divide and separate them down to one crown per division, it will give you a small plant and they will not bounce back as quickly.

November 2011

I have a twelve year old Henryi clematis that was diagnosed this past summer with Clematis Wilt. They recommended that I cut it all the way back to the ground and said that it would possibly come back in the fall. It did and looked healthy for about a month and even sent out one new blossom. However, now the leaves are starting to brown on the edges just like it did during the summer. I suspect that the browning is the "wilt". Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I would be very surprised if clematis wilt were showing itself again this late in the season. I would suspect it is natural leaf drop for the winter. Clematis wilt is tricky. It tends to be worse on large flowered forms and in heavier soils. Sometimes transplanting it to a new location and planting it high can help. In some varieties, this disease occurs annually killing it to the soil line for several years, and then the plant seems to outgrow it and you never get it again. I am surprised it just hit yours since it is 12 years old and I am assuming in the same location. Good luck.

December 2011

I have some hardy hibiscus plants that were planted about six years ago. They come up every spring and seem to double each year. They are beautiful, but have become so big that they are hard to manage. I'd like to divide them and have several friends who want a start from them. Can this be done? If so how and when should it be done?

I would suggest digging and dividing as they emerge next spring. For now, they have gone dormant. When new sprouts appear in the spring, dig up the clump, and separate them into several crowns per division. Replant in a sunny moist area, and they will bounce back and should bloom that season.

May 2010

I want to move some Iris's that are blooming now. I want to know if I move them now, will they bloom next spring. If not, when is the best time to move them? I would like to move them while they are blooming so that I am sure what I am moving.

The best time to move iris is six to eight weeks after they bloom. Division and transplanting can be done at the same time. I would try to flag them now with some type of marking system while in bloom so that you know what you are moving later. If you move them too soon after bloom or during bloom, they won't die, but they may not bloom as well the next season, since they will be busy getting re-established and may not set flower buds. Moving them after they set their flower buds should ensure good flowering again next season.

February 2010

Could you let me know the best time to transplant naked lady bulbs?

Naked ladies is the common name for Lycoris squamigera. They form the pink, trumpet shaped blossoms in mid to late summer. The other Lycoris commonly grown in Arkansas is L. radiata with the red spider like blooms, commonly called surprise lily or spider lily. It blooms in late summer to early fall. The naked lady foliage usually appears in the spring grows for a couple of months then dies back waiting for the naked stem with pink blooms in the summer. They can be transplanted either when the foliage is up or as the flowers fade in the summer. They may not bloom for a year or two after transplanting, but should rebound after that.

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