Q: I have several perennials that look very healthy but have stopped flowering. Should I divide them? How can I do this without killing the plant?
When an otherwise healthy-looking perennial plant stops flowering, it usually means that it’s ready to divide. Wait until the plant goes dormant before doing this. Some plants are easier to divide than others.
Plants that grow from bulbs or fleshy roots can be gently uprooted with a digging fork. If the ground is difficult to dig, deep water and wait a few days before attempting to dig. Insert the fork into the soil a few inches away from the base of the plant and loosen the root mass. You may have to work your way all the way around the circumference of the plant. Hopefully, the root mass will naturally break apart. I’ve found that irises and daffodils are especially easy to divide this way. Larger chunks can be divided using a sharp knife or razor – just make sure that each piece has at least one node (nodes look like potato eyes). Roots can be stored briefly in a cool moist environment, but they are happiest when transplanted right away.
Perennials with fibrous roots can be trickier to divide. Digging is a bigger chore since the dense roots are difficult to pry out of the ground. Sometimes I’ve had to dig, then water, then dig again, then water, until the plant finally comes out. By this time, I’ve decided that I really don’t want more of these plants that I’ll have to dig up in a few years so I end up tossing it into the green trash can.
Q: Do people put food out for the birds in the winter here? When I lived in the northeast, we would make suet out of bacon grease and bird seed, but I imagine that this wouldn’t work here.
The weather here doesn’t get so cold and miserable, so there’s usually something for the wild birds to forage. If you have a bird bath, I recommend keeping that clean and filled with fresh water. If you enjoy having a bird feeder, locate it in a sheltered place so your visitors are protected from the local hawks. Purchase a feeder that is reasonably rodent-proof. Many of my fellow gardeners tell me that they gave up on their bird feeders because they were seeing more rats than birds. One of my friends removed her hummingbird feeders because big praying mantises would hang out and catch the hummingbirds. Nature is kind of mean that way.
If you still want to help the local bird population out, try planting some native fruit-bearing plants such as toyon, serviceberry, or holly-leaf cherry. Leave seed heads on flowers so the birds can feast on those. Aloe species will flower in the early spring, bearing nectar-rich flowers that attract the spectacular hooded oriole.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
