Re: dividing moonbeam coreopsis

In a message dated 6/17/02 11:51:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
patty.lobach@worldspan.com writes:

<< My moonbeam coreopsis is very large and crowding out other plants.
 I should have divided it in the spring but didn't.   Can I divide it now in
 mid June?  And if so, how should I do it?   Must is dig out the entire
 plant >>

I think Paul is usually right on beam with perennial advice.  However, you do 
not say where you are located unless we want to look up your area code. The 
advice is often radically different in various parts of this large country.

It is my eperience that you can dig out the entire plant, clump or what you 
have and cut it up into pieces of a size you like.  If you are in a long 
growing season, you can shear it back and new flowers will form.  We are in a 
short season and still can shear and get flowers in late summer.  Discard the 
woody or heavy rooted parts, replanting the newer growth.

Moonbean, a reliable gem in the garden, needs to be dividied every two or 
three yearsto have a long flowering season. It accepts reasonable drought 
conditions but will bloom much better with early water soluble fertilization 
and water from time to time.  It will survive with no water water at all but 
not be the plant you see catalogs. Despite what I have done to Moonbeam, I 
have never lost a clump and that would include walking on it when I did not 
know what it was. 

This experience is from upstate New York where this year,  it rains daily and 
we are going to have one of those seasons where we have monster sized plants  
needing bushwhacking throughout the summer. Other years it never rains and 
the needs are quite different in the garden.

If nothing else, we have become very adaptive and learned plenty of new 
procedures.

I have some container plants that will rot if not kept under an overhang this 
year.  Other years, I have lugged cans of water to them.  In my next life I 
shall be head gardener and give orders. Then I shall take a daily tour and 
admire the flowers.

Claire Peplowsk
NYS z4 

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