Dividing a clumper

kudzu9 · Post by **kudzu9** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:42 am

I've got a Ch. culeou that I want to divide this year and I'm wondering about the right time to do it. I've had good luck with my runners, but this past winter I divided a Borinda fungosa and later was told by someone knowledgeable that summer was the time for that clumper to be divided. And I can say that it sure doesn't look happy right now.
So what do you think about the Ch. culeou? We're coming out of winter here and the temps are in the 40's now at night. This plant started putting out shoots in late summer and they were still popping up until the end of October.

Markj · Post by **Markj** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:31 pm

Hi, As long as it's in a pot I've had no problems with choping these in very early spring, I normally just saw the pot in half, not being too greedy though and then it's nearly a 100% success rate.

If it's in the ground though, I now don't bother with trying to divide, it's a lot of hard work to get results once the plant is a few years old, in fact I've never got a good division form a older plant.

kudzu9 · Post by **kudzu9** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:40 pm

The Ch. culeou was transplanted from my other house and has been in the ground here for about a year. It had 3 culms originally and put up 5 more in the late fall.

Markj · Post by **Markj** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:08 pm

Because it's only been in the ground for a short time, dividing should be no problem- and early spring seems to work here, a few weeks before new shoots are visable.

Once the clump is older it's really hard work, the rhizomes don't grow in any pattern, they twist and turn , growing almost back under the clump before emerging in a new spot. I've spent many an hour diging under an established clump and the rhizome is quite a tangle down there and as always the bit you want is devoide of roots.

Best of luck anyway