Rowan County Master Gardeners are preparing to host their 9^th Annual Plant Swap and sale on Saturday morning, May 6th. Open to the public, the swap will begin at 9:00 a.m.; plant sale at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude at 12:00 noon. The plant swap and sale will be at the Agricultural Center on Old Concord Road. Only perennial plants will be accepted for the swap; however, annuals, bulbs, seeds and perennials will be available at the sale.                             Perennial plants live for multiple years and many such as hostas, daylilies, dianthus and peonies benefit from division every three to four years. As plants mature and become crowded, the bloom quantity and quality decline. Division can also be used to restrict invasive perennials like bee balm, lambs ear and herbs in the mint family.
     Now is an excellent time to divide perennials. Try to choose a cool, overcast day to lesson shock of the plants as they are being transplanted. Several methods of division can be employed depending on the plant characteristics. Use a sharp spade or knife to remove portions of the crown for perennials such as coral bells, ensuring that sufficient roots are available to support each new plant. For other perennials the result is more aesthetically pleasing when the entire plant is dug up and divided into pieces, replanting one division in the original location.  This works well with daylilies, hostas and sedum Autumn Joy. Many other perennials drop seeds (columbine, sundrops, and blackberry lily) so that you need only dig up the wayward plants and relocate them. Creeping perennials like thyme often root sections away from the center of the plant. Carefully dig up the rooted section and disentangle it from the main plant. In all cases, prepare the new location(s) by loosening the soil and adding amendments if necessary. Plant the division at the same depth as the original plant and water thoroughly. It will be necessary to water the new plantings until they are established.  Divide your perennials and bring any surplus plants to the swap. You'll go home with some new additions for your garden.

For those entering the plant swap, the following guidelines apply:
*plants must be healthy, free from insects and disease, and in
containers no larger than 1 gallon
*containers must be labeled with plant name, growing conditions
and name of person swapping plant
*each person may swap up to 5 plants, but no more than 2 of the
same type
*there will be a $1 fee per person to participate in the swap
*plants obtained in the swap may be exchanged for those on the
sale table                                                                      *bring only plants that you would enjoy receive from the swap-avoid undesirable plants such tree seedlings, common liriope, ivy, etc.  

Caryn Blackwood is the Rowan County Master Gardener Volunteer who is chairing the 9^th Annual Master Gardener Plant Swap.  For more information, contact the Cooperative Extension office at 704-633-0571 or visit the Master Gardener Webpage www.rowanmastergardener.com

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu