I have this absolutely beautiful and huge Hakonechloa (yellow-green ornamental grass) and want to divide it into 3 parts to then put with other Perennials that would set it off. Does anybody know if you can divide this plant without harming it? Thanks.
Except for any that might have been tissue cultured probably most stock of this plant sold is produced by division. Favored time for dividing grasses is spring.
We've divided ours with no problems, like Ron mentions around March when the new growth is just starting to budge. I would use a spade to slice off sections from the outside of your established clump, leaving the rest undisturbed...the divisions will probably grow away as if nothing happened...(the nice thing about deciduous plants). Personally, I love this more the bigger it gets...unlike some other grasses which seem to get tiring after awhile in my garden. Especially on a sloped area where the natural gracefulness of hakone grass makes it like a yellow river...one of my favs!
Thanks to Ron B for his input. Growest: I was planning to just divide it into 3 parts (like cutting a pie into 3 parts starting in the centre). Do you think this is unwise?
Sounds fine, Barbara. I was just sharing my love for nice big specimens of this particular plant...so I would always try to keep a nice big old clump while producing new little ones to get going elsewhere. What you describe will work well, and give you 3 nice fairly equal plants if that's what you'd like!
Dividing it into un equal sizes sounds like a really good idea! Maybe I'll leave one big clump and do 2 smaller ones. Anyway, I have to wait until ring and by then I may have changed my mind a million times (woman's perogative (sp?), eh?)
