Is anyone else doing a lot of transplanting and dividing this year?

So funny I just moved some P. s. the other day. No secret method. I took some pieces from the outer edges that had rooted. You are right though, it is hard to tell where the rooted sections are. I had some gaps between the outer and inner growth so it looked better after, less patchy. Of course soon we won't see foliage anyway because they will be covered in blooms.

I have not had a chance to do much yet but I certainly plan to. We are finally into a stretch of good weather that will warm the soil. It had been quite nice out then the last couple of weeks we had night temps just above freezing.

I move moss phlox by taking up a shovel full and tossing it into a depression in the soil. Then I bury most of it with a bit of green left showing, then I scatter mulch on top of that. Then I water it a lot and set a chair or something over it if it gets too hot.

It usually takes. If I want to move a smaller section I'll set a rock on it or use a ground staple to see that it stays where I put it because dogs, lol.

It's not so much 'planting' as it is just laying it in a different spot in such a way as the business end of it doesn't dry out.

Interesting methods that you all use that are different than what I did yesterday. I circled the plant with a half moon edger and loosened it, then went back with a shovel and lifted it until it was free, then I picked up the portion and put it on a tray to carry it to the new location where I already had a hole dug an placed it there and tried to pull more soil up around the edges and kept pressing it down to try to keep contact with the soil. I soaked it and put a large milk crate over it. Today I went back to trim it because it was already in flower and I thought it might need it, and a LOT of the stems were just coming out in my hand, unattached to the main body of the plant. So it is frustrating. I'm going to keep it soaked and covered and see how it does, but I am thinking of trying one of your methods.

So, if I have this right, cearbhaill, you dig out a portion after making a depression in the new location, you put the portion in the depression and then instead of just drawing soil up around it, you add soil over the top of it, just leaving the tips of the stems sticking out and then soak it and shade it until it has a chance to root well. Is that right?

Gawdinfever, you dug up a portion that you rinsed all the soil off because of the grass and then you put all the stems with roots attached into a dishpan and covered it with soil and it rooted well that way? I assume you left the growing tips of all the stems uncovered with soil?

the only thing i would add the the various methods is.. dig the new hole first ... so when you lift it on the shovel.. you can just hoik over there.. and throw the darn thing in the new hole ..

make the new hole one shovel wide.. and move ... wait for it.. one shovel full to the new hole ...

the only other thought in spring.. is do it on cloudy cool days.. rather than those hot days in spring with full sun .. even better if you do it in the rain ... which boils down to probably doing it when you dont really want to be in the garden .. lol ...

that is all if you dont want to divide it into a million pieces of course ..

you really dont need different rules for different plants ... just do it ...

ken

What interesting answers! I was watching this because in the past I've had some difficulties planting and transplanting creeping phlox. I say in the past because most of mine has died out now anyway. Not much luck at all with this plant, sadly. So I've been afraid to move what little I have left.

:)
Dee

I actually did want a million pieces! lol I love the prettiness and the smell of mine. I did cover some with soil. Didn't seem to matter. I only did so then because the roots seemed to go every which way, and my though process was, " well they spread by roots anyway..."

As long as the roots don't dry out and they have 'some' light on the leaves, I find they do okay. I have way too much to contend with to be perfect at everything. I find that as I get older, I'm more cavalier and less OCD. A lot of my plants have loved it, as I fussed over some way too much!

Oh, forgot to add: I 'try' to do most of my transplanting on cloudy and/or cool days. But my work schedule doesn't all permit that. I've moved or transplanted many a plants in full sun and hot days. I just water the heck out of them and then use something to block the sun for three days. This works well about 95% of the time. It's not odd in my yard to see milk crates, lawn chairs, propped up baby pool, etc in random spots of my yard for few days. My neighbors probably think I'm messy and/or lazy....

"So, if I have this right, cearbhaill, you dig out a portion after making a depression in the new location, you put the portion in the depression and then instead of just drawing soil up around it, you add soil over the top of it, just leaving the tips of the stems sticking out and then soak it and shade it until it has a chance to root well. Is that right?"

Yep.

I will say that I find the white 'Snowflake' to be hardest to root or spread either for that matter. The (IMO) garish Emerald Pink is the easiest and hardiest. But creeping phlox is supposed to be garish I guess- when spring finally rolls around it's a very welcome punch of color, lol.

I also have Candy Stripe, Fort Hill, Emerald Blue, Sapphire Blue, Crimson Beauty and Purple Beauty- many of which are fine and others disappeared. I just lost track of who's who.