How-To

Dividing Plants With Roots That Form Offsets

By Janet Macunovich
Dividing Plants with Roots that Form Offsets
To divide a plant whose roots form offsets, snap the connection between sections to get a piece that has at least three growing points and ample roots. Plants that form offsets include asters, coneflowers, hostas, and tickseeds.
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      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., Zones 3–9), hostas (Hosta spp. and cvs., Zones 3–8), and tickseeds (Coreopsis spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9).

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