Can you split coral bells

Remove just enough soil from the root ball to reveal the ends of the roots. Run water over the root ball to wash away a little more soil. Avoid handling the roots too much, because they break easily. Cut the root ball into similarly sized portions, each with an equal share of roots and shoots.

Position the blade of a sharp, serrated knife between the shoots. Cut straight down through the root ball using a clean, slicing motion. Wrap the coral bell divisions in a sheet of moist burlap to keep the roots cool and hydrated while you dig the planting holes. Dig holes that are twice as wide as the root ball and 2 inches deeper. Space the holes 10 to 24 inches apart. Hold the root ball upright in the hole, and backfill around the roots until the soil reaches the base of the stems.

Sometimes, despite your careful cutting, a tiny, rootless plantlet will become detached. You can still plant this fledgling, and rather optimistically, too. Inserted in good soil and provided steady moisture, it will soon grow its own set of roots, much like a divided African violet will. You will find that heucheras — divided or otherwise — grow best in partially shaded locations, such as the dappled light my Woodland Garden affords.

There, I space them one foot apart in rich, well-drained soil amended with plenty of leaf mold. A 3-inch layer of mulch around the plants does wonders to control weeds and conserve moisture. Are you crazy for Coral Bells, too?

Then by all means practice this easy propagation program. It will give you a flashy collection of plants for practically no cost at all. Want to acquire more gardening skills? Hi Kevin! This is unrelated to coral bells but is it okay to water plants in the evening? I just watered my plants because I felt that they needed it but did I do more harm than good??

Kevin, keep these tips coming! I'm going to take your advice and just buy one large heurchera instead of the usual 3 and divide it. Judy — Not to worry. On that note, you can help the plants by growing them in a sunny area that gives them a lot of access to direct sun with airflow as well.

Welcome to my site, my name is John and I have been lucky enough to work in horticultural nurseries for over 15 years in the UK. I now work full time on this website where I review the very best gardening products and tools and write reliable gardening guides.

Behind this site is an actual real person who has worked and has experience with the types of products we review as well as years of knowledge on the topics we cover from actual experience. You can reach out to me at john pyracantha. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. John Moore Welcome to my site, my name is John and I have been lucky enough to work in horticultural nurseries for over 15 years in the UK.