dividing primroses

Primroses have finished flowering and are building up strong seedpods at this time of year.

Now is the time to multiply up those native primrose so that you have even more of them next year, providing even more early flowers for early insects.

Lift the clumps of primroses and knock off the soil. using either fingers or a sharp knife, to tease the clump apart. into separate plants.

Each parent usually yields four or five plants when divided. I cut off any of the big lumps from the divided plants, cut away seed pods and also trim the leaves before dropping the plants into planting holes in their new position ready for flowering next spring.

A good drink of water and a general fertilizer (I am using granulated chicken manure pellets at the moment). Watch them as the summer comes on, because they can dry out. Otherwise look forward to the first flowers - sometimes even before Christmas!