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When I bought my house a few years ago I bought me 3 Spirea plants to go in a garden in the front.All 3 has flourished and love how it looks.Its easily now one of my favorites because I love how they are low maintance

Now my question is can I split/seperate Spirea?Can I make my 3 plants into 6, possiblly 9 plants?My 3 plants are very healthy.

Thanks in advance!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: UGA Dawgs,

Anybody ever make 1 plant into 2 plants and was successful?

Treat your spirea just like you do a monarda; divide the clump by thrusting a sharp spade down into it deciding just how many pieces you wish.
Monarda is split into 3 pieces...usually---the 2 outside pieces are saved, the inner center is thrown away or given away, the two outer pieces are brought together to form a whole new plant that will flower and grow nicely.
The spirea can be cut in the same manner or just slit in two --each piece of the clump is now a new plant.

Better to examine the clump and decide just where to thrust the spade or use a sharp knife--wear good garden gloves.

I believe the best time would be in spring just as other perennials are showing themselves.
Make the hole the size of the clump piece you decided on but a little wider and improve the soil with some compost, water well each of the divisions.
A little bone meal or superphosphate in the bottom of the hole will help generate the roots.

I've never divided the 2 I have as they may never become large enough as I am pushing the zone for both but this site gives some info on dividing various shrubs. You might look at PaPaw’s Method on that link if you have time to wait as the plant would be less stressed.

http://www.todayshomeowner.com...nd-propagate-shrubs/

Spirea are pretty hardy in our zone, pretty much weedlike......Loonie had a good idea about the spade, BUT...even a tiny rootlet will normally sprout and make a shrub, it just might take a bit longer. If the shrub is well established, cutting down the center with a spade is going to be tough and you're going to need to weigh 500 lbs to push it through the woody root mass. I'd prefer to dig the entire thing up and hack off the sides.

ve

quote:

Originally posted by vera ellen:
Spirea are pretty hardy in our zone, pretty much weedlike......Loonie had a good idea about the spade, BUT...even a tiny rootlet will normally sprout and make a shrub, it just might take a bit longer. If the shrub is well established, cutting down the center with a spade is going to be tough and you're going to need to weigh 500 lbs to push it through the woody root mass. I'd prefer to dig the entire thing up and hack off the sides.

ve

Thanks vera.You think it will be ok to go ahead and do it now for our area?My spirea leaves have feel off it so its gone dormant.

Also once I dig it up wouldnt using a hack saw be much better for dividing it?

Amazing what you find on a web search. Yes, you can. No, you can't. Maybe. Maybe not.
Generally, you can. In early spring soak the soil around your shrub really well and then dig that shrub out. With a sharp spade cut the root ball and then replant where you want them.
http://www.garden.org/searchqa...rowing%20hedge&adv=0

Hmmmm. I would have thought root cuttings or air layering only. Mine doesn't seem to be a colony of roots but a single shrub. Hard to tell under there since my "dwarf" Little Princess had gotten quite large!
But I do find seedlings all over the place and have at least 4 growing and have pulled up and tossed or given away others.

Update

I dug my spiera up and took a saw and split each plant right down the middle in late december.I basically made 3 plants into 7.I was so worried that they wouldnt make it.Well they all have produced leaves on them in the last week or 2 and doing great.I gotta admit it was pretty tough splitting them.Its like cutting through a tree.

So it can be done!

Good for you, Georgia! Sometimes its tough to do what needs to be done to our plants. And you experience will certainly help someone else.

Glad you were successful! And thank you for passing on the info. Now I know what to do when I get fed up with mine being BIG!
This year mine will get a hair cut, a SHORT haircut!