Excellent New Resource: A Midland Alpine Gardener's Diary

[angie]

Diane that was brilliant. I was going to ask if you took the glass of your Access frames but you answered that for me. I have a hepatica that I got in Nottingham auction and didn't realise that Maggi was bidding as well so I shall give this dividing a go and share my plant. Bit scared but glad to see your step by step detailed pictures this is a big help to me.
Thanks Diane.

Angie

[Diane Clement]

Thanks, Angie.  Don't try it on a young plant, you might lose it, but it's often very easy on an older plant.  Just keep teasing it and easing it very very gently at the roots and you may find that a piece just comes away.  Don't pull too hard as you may find the top comes away without any roots.

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Diane

Thank you for sharing your excellent step by step hepatica care manual.  Very, very helpful.

Koko

[angie]

Diane I think you need to come back to Aberdeen just to divide my hepatica.
Will let you know how I get on.

Angie

[Maggi Young]

Diane I think you need to come back to Aberdeen just to divide my hepatica.
Will let you know how I get on.

Angie

Why not, indeed? You know you're welcome, Diane!
Angie, thanks for remembering me and the lovely Ashwood hepatica.

[Maggi Young]

Goodness me... I quite forgeot to say, Diane, that your guide to Hepatica repotting and splitting is just super. These clear photos are certainly worth a thousand words in clearly demonstrating the process.

I forgot to say this before because I just assume the excellence of your diaries... soory for taking you for granted. 

[Diane Clement]

Thanks for all comments, gratefully received. 
Angie, I look forward to hearing how your hepatica division goes 

[annew]

I found it very helpful as well, Diane. Well done!

[angie]

Hepatica out the pot but there are so many roots, I wondered if I washed all the soil of the roots would that be easier for me. I cant see to get a start,  now I am just thinking to myself if the soil was dry it would come away easier. Just scared I damage the roots.
What a coward eh.
Angie

[Diane Clement]

I wouldn't try and split the whole thing, Angie.  Find little section at the edge and just ease it gently just teasing the roots as you go.  Gently all the time, no hard tugging  

[angie]

Thanks Diane, will do. As you can tell I am a bit of a coward.
Angie

[angie]

I don't know if it was a success but I managed to divide the plant. It took ages, all I can say is Diane you must have plenty of patience, I couldn't get a section from the edge so I just took my time and untangled the roots. I must say once I had got it appart I felt relieved. Now that I have done one I will feel confident to do others.
Thanks Diane, it was a great help seeing the pictures.

Angie 

[Diane Clement]

You did it, well done!  And you also found a bonus plant shown in the second picture which I always think is nature's own root cutting.  Hope you managed to separate that piece out as well.  
Those leaves look a bit scorched round the edges, best find a place to put them with as much shade as you can.  John Massey at Ashwood uses 2 or 3 layers of shade netting to give 70 - 90% shade.  Mine are in my shaded (with most of the glass removed) Access frame which is under a hawthorn tree and will stay there until late autumn.

[angie]

Diane thanks for the advice on shading. I got my husband to make a frame above my cold frame so that I can put shade netting over,  this is where I keep my Cyps. I think I can put my Hepaticas there as well.
I hinted last year about getting a access frame for my birthday, but I never got one. I think I will start hinting again
Yes I potted up the baby plant, most are planted under shade but I forgot about this one in the pot. I just love Hepaticas.
Now I can give Maggi a bit of the plant I don't feel so bad.

Angie

[Lesley Cox]

When something like a Hepatica is well tangled, it does help to hold it by the leaves and wiggle the roots about for a time in a large bowl of (ever-so-slightly) warm water to wash out the compost and then the roots will tease apart more easily. I say warm because we had a good frost this morning and the thought of my hands in cold water isn't a pleasant one. I would drain the plant on newspaper before trying the teasing phase.