Dividing hellebore

[Anonymous]

Is it too late in spring to divide my hellebore? I know it’s best in the fall and early spring but I’ve got a bare spot just calling for a hellebore.

[Anonymous]

I would do it. I do try to wait until fall to divide, but one thing I have learned with gardening is that there is rarely a perfect time, way to do things. If you were to go buy a hellebore to put in the open spot you wouldn’t think twice, so it seems like a divided plant would be almost the same. Just make sure both pieces get water attention.

[Anonymous]

Give it a go. I divide my perennials when I shouldn’t, and they usually do fine anyway.

[Anonymous]

I'd at least wait until next week, when it is hopefully cooler. Make sure to water it well. It should do fine.

[Anonymous]

NP, I've only ever divided bulbs. For the Hellebore, do I just dig out some stems(?). Is it best to pick out a tightly packed section so I get 6 or 7 stem. Is a standard shovel deep enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP, I've only ever divided bulbs. For the Hellebore, do I just dig out some stems(?). Is it best to pick out a tightly packed section so I get 6 or 7 stem. Is a standard shovel deep enough?

That isn’t quite how to do it, no. Dig the whole plant up, getting as much of its root ball as you can. So maybe 8 inches from the base of the plant, and then a good shovel length deep. Make a few cuts like that around the plant if it is a big one. Then lever it out. Put it on a ground and then chop it in half with your shovel, cutting right through the middle of the crown and roots. If it is a really big plant you can do that twice and get four plants.

Cut most of the foliage off when you replant - it is hot and the plant will lose too much moisture as it regrows roots to take up water. Water it really really well when you transplant the pieces, and then once a week during the summer.

[Anonymous]

PP again. You can do that whole thing while the plant is in the ground - put your shovel into the middle of the plant and then stomp hard to split it with the shovel. Then dig out the part you cut off, leaving half undisturbed. Fill in the hole front the half you took with soil and water it. Replant the other half elsewhere.

The risk with that is you can’t see where the roots are as well and you risk cutting off crowns with no root, or not enough. So only try it with a big plant and go right through the center.