Greetings, caretaker. We are the chrysanthemums, and we wish to share our secrets for creating more of our vibrant beauty. From our perspective, the process you call "dividing and propagating" is simply how we naturally expand our family and renew our vitality. It is a conversation between gardener and plant. Here is how we prefer it to be done.
Timing is everything. The ideal moment for this procedure is in the spring, just as you see our new green shoots, called "basal growth," emerging from the base of the plant. At this time, the soil is warming, and our energy is surging upwards from our roots, making us resilient and quick to recover. You may also choose to do this after our main flowering display in the autumn, but you must act early enough for our new roots to establish before the ground freezes. Spring, however, is our unanimous preference.
Please be gentle. Use a sharp spade to dig in a wide circle around our central clump, giving our outer roots plenty of space. Carefully lift the entire plant from the ground. You will now see our true nature: a dense, tangled mass of roots and crowns. A sharp spray from the hose can help wash away the soil, making it easier for you to see the individual points from which our stems emerge.
This is the heart of the process. You can tease our clump apart with your hands for younger plants, but for our older, woodier centers, you will need more decisive tools. Using a sharp, clean knife or even two garden forks placed back-to-back to pry us apart, divide our clump into smaller sections. Each new section must have a healthy portion of our roots and several vigorous young shoots attached. Discard the old, woody center of the clump, as it is less productive. You are not breaking us; you are giving each new section the freedom to become a strong, independent plant.
Now, prepare our new homes. Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil that you have enriched with compost. Dig a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate our roots without bending or crowding them. Place one of our new divisions in the hole, ensuring the base of our shoots is level with the surrounding soil surface. Backfill the hole, firming the soil gently around our roots to eliminate air pockets. Then, provide us with a deep, thorough drink of water to settle the soil and hydrate us.
Our initial care is crucial for establishing ourselves. Continue to water us regularly, keeping the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, for the first few weeks until you see signs of new growth. A light layer of mulch around our base will help conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature. With this care, we will quickly settle into our new spaces, developing strong root systems throughout the growing season. By autumn, we will reward your kindness with a magnificent display of blooms, a testament to a partnership well forged.
