Topic: Replanting perenials - problems?

[Garden Manager]

I was wondering if some herbaceous perenials suffer 'replant sickness' like roses are supposed to do. Ie you dig a plant up, divide it and put parts of it back in the same place (plus compost), and it fails to perform as it did previously even after allowing time to reestablish.

I know most plants are ok treated like this if plenty of compost is added to the soil, but could there be some plants that just dont like this being done. i am thinking particularly of asters. I have a clump in a particular spot. i originaly planted it there about 3 years ago. If flowered well in sucessive years. Last spring  I realised it had become overgrown and needed dividing. This i did anfd put some of the divisions back in the same place, since there was no reason to move it elsewhere. I makde sure it has not gone short of water since but it has hardly grown and has produced only a few flowers this autumn.

I am wondering if i should now move it to fresh ground. II could leave it another year but if the problem is with that particular patch of soil them i am likely to get the same result next year. It is a good plant normaly with nice purple flowers . I want that back next year!

Any thoughts /suggestions please?

PS: I dont know what species of aster it is, but the cultivar name is 'Lady Frances', if this helps at all.

[Mrs Ava]

I wonder if it will perform better next year.  I imagine it has spent this season putting on lots of fresh new root growth at the expense of flowers, so next year, will flower even better than before.  The only other thing I wonder is if asters don't like being moved in spring but would prefer autumn?  I didn't know some plants were picky, but I have discovered that grasses for example, should only be split or moved in spring as they won't put on any new root growth during autumn and winter, and they just give up and die!  I would leave it be Richard, give it a good feed in spring, and I bet it is amazing next summer.

[Garden Manager]

Well it did well the first season after planting originaly 3 years ago. Maybe just the weather this year hasnt helped

I have always believed that you move late flowerers in spring and early summer flowers in autumn. That way you give them maximum time to settle in before flowering time. I also dont like moving things in or just after flowering. That said when i originaly planted the aster in that spot 3 years ago i did it just after flowering! Though i had just cleared and replanted the bed so had little option as to planting time!

3 years on the bed is due for another revamp so may have to move the aster anyway - as it didnt flower much it wont matter if i have to move it now.

Thanks for the reply

[ACE]

I divide perenials all the time, regardless of  the season as selling the spares is one of the ways we finance our  show gardens. The best of the bunch get used in the shows and I always keep a good stock plant to put back in the border.

But I mollycoddle the divisions by potting them in a good compost after chopping off the top growth and keeping them in the greenhouse\poly tunnel for a few weeks to encourage new root growth.

I suppose we have a 95% success rate doing it this way. I have put the divisions straight back in the ground but never in the same place and it works with the more intrusive types, vinca etc. but I would say that there is only a 75% success rate doing it that way.

Think of crop rotation and work your plants in the same way, as the nutrition that the plant needs is down and the small amount that is in the new compost soon gets washed away as you do the first watering.

My own garden gets replanted and manured every three years using the potting system. It seems to encourage stronger plants and  I like the change. Only the shrubs stay in place and they get a good feed of rooster every year.