Re: hellebores

Well, Bobbi, that's what I'd always read and thought, too, until I
met Graham Birkin.  He divides his plants all the time...but not more
often than every 3 years...and sells the divisions (which is the only
way you can actually get a plant of a certain color form...seedling
strains are generally mixed, tho' Tasmanian breeder John Dudley has
devised a way to pretty much get what he wants from his seed
strains).

August or through Sept. is the ideal time for division, because
that's when hellebores put out new roots.  Their spring growth is
vegetative and flowers.

They don't love division and it takes divisions a while to recover,
but it can be done to all acaulescent species and hybrids.  In fact,
Graham says that you should divide old clumps after they've been in
the ground a number of years!  I think it is possible that the
caution against division came about because people did it at the
wrong time of year and lost plants....that's just a guess:-)

Caulescent species and hybrids do not divide (i.e. H. foetidus and H.
argutifolius, etc.)..their structure is quite different from the
acaulescent species and hybrids.

I doubt you'd kill those old clumps by dividing them.  I have not
done this, but having received a number of Graham's divisions, it
appears that you need to dig up the clump, wash off the soil and use
a sharp knife to do the divisions..they don't just fall apart and
they have tough rhizomes and very thick roots - sorta like hosta
roots only they grow down much deeper.  I put line drawings of the
acaulescent and caulescent structure in that first hellebore article,
so you can see what I'm talking about.

You want to make sure you do not allow the roots to dry out during
the process and replant immediately.  If replanting immediately is
not possible, you need to either pot up or wrap the roots in damp
peat moss or paper towels and put the roots in a plastic bag so they
do not dry out.

If you had clumps that you particularly liked, I'd say go get some of
them.  I have found, with Graham's divisions, that it takes them a
season or two to really put on growth, but I've only lost one or
two...one to deer stepping smack on it and one that was a very tiny
division to start with...and I've got more than a dozen growing away
happily.   If you simply split the clump in two, I would imagine that
both halves would grow away much faster than the smaller divisions
Graham makes, which also have to put up with being bare rooted and
going through USDA/APHIS inspection and travel, etc. where they are
out of the ground for a considerable time....those do need some TLC
upon receipt, as do any bare root divisions.

Another thing about divisions is that they may throw flowers at an
odd time or their initial flowering may even be a slightly different
color.  But hellebores are very variable plants and do interesting
things under any circs as they mature.

BTW, for those interested in buying divisions from Graham...here's
his web site - you need to order soon as his spring trip is end of
March this year and I think order cut off is Feb.:

http://www.hellebores.hort.net/

For those interested in growing from seed, here's John's web site -
he ships to the US, beautifully packaged, moist and already warm
stratified:

http://www.southcom.com.au/~hortus/

Both of these men (both personal friends and two of the nicest guys
around) will be happy to answer questions about their plants via
email...tell 'em I sent you:-)

You simply cannot have too many hellebores!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: Bobbi Diehl <diehlr@INDIANA.EDU>
>
> Marge and anyone who is knowledgeable on this subject:
>
> I once read that dividing hellebores is a no-no but if you
absolutely
> must, that August is the only time to do it. I couldn't manage to
divide
> my hellebores that month, so left them all at the old house. There
are at
> least 3 big, old hellebores there, all various Lenten Rose types. I
have
> none here but would like to try them. Am I better off just buying
new
> plants or should I go back and try to divide the old plants? The
owners, I
> think, would permit it. I would hate to kill them.
>
> Should I stick a shovel in and dig up chunks, dig up the whole
plant, or
> what? Anyone who has divided hellebores who could advise?
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