Dividing Sweet William

I started Sweet William from seed for my granddaughter’s “pink” container. Everything was going great until I realized that this is biennial plant. It was taking up way to much room in the container so I moved it to the garden.

It did not bloom last year but is coming up nicely in the garden (zone 4). However, it is way to large (12-14” x 8-10”) for her pink container this year. Can it be divided? And if so, how ?

This plant is a prernnial here. It stays evergreen here and most of the time has at least a few blooms in the winter. I just dig up a plant(getting as much of the root ball as possible) and cut it apart with a large sharp knife or a small gargen saw. I just dug up a very large Spider Wort plant. I cut it in half, then took 1/2 and cut it into three pieces. I will get six plants out of one. Part the stems first because you don't want to cut off any more stems than you can help. I hope this helps.

I have had the same experience's as smokey with dividing the sweet williams. This is the result of dividing 4 plants last year and these are planted much to thick in these containers. By the time these get divided this fall........I will have a bunch of them.

Smokey_SC

Thanks for your help. Hopefully, I will get some better weather for gardening soon so I can get back to it and divide the Sweet William. Also, your advice to part the stems first was extremely helpful. ….Don’t know that I would have done that.

You also made me curious about the Spider Wort plant. Did some research and a “Little Doll” may be a perfect solution for a wet spot I have in one corner of the garden.

Thanks again and happy gardening!

Jaywhacker

Thanks for your post and pic. I have two Sweet William plants in the garden and look forward to getting them divided and one of the appropriate size in my granddaughter’s pink container.

Thanks again and happy gardening!

My Sweet Williams is perennial here also, probably need to divide it

Irwells50

Thanks for sharing your pic...can't wait to see mine with flowers...no buds yet!

If you break off a stem when you're dividing it, stick it in some soil somewhere shady and it'll root as well.

threegardeners,

Thanks for the tip....used it, now I'm waiting to see if it works for me too!

threegardeners,

It worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^_^