Divide Alstroemeria Tubers In 4 Steps To Reduce Overcrowding And Produce New Plants
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Dividing Alstroemeria tubers is an easy garden job.
Like other perennials, Alstroemerias can be divided to reduce overcrowding and propagate new plants.
Why Divide Alstroemeria?
There are two main reasons why you should divide Alstroemerias (and other clump-forming perennial plants).
The first reason is to clear space and reduce overcrowding in a bed or border, or to stop a mature plant from outgrowing its container.
The second reason is, of course, to propagate your plant, and obtain new plants for your garden.
Propagation by division is the easiest way to get new Alstroemeria plants, since these plants are not easy to grow from seed.
If you collect your own seeds then the plants you grow may not look the same as their parent.
Plants grown from seed will also take several years to flower.
When you divide Alstroemeria, you will obtain a number of plants immediately, each of which will be an exact copy of the parent plant.
These new plants can also be placed in new containers, or elsewhere in your garden right away.
Dividing plants is a great way to make new plants to fill new areas in your garden and to improve existing growing areas.
When To Divide Alstroemeria
Alstroemerias are best divided in April, though you may also undertake the task in May.
While other summer flowering plants can often also be divided in autumn, between September and November, this is not the best time to divide Alstroemeria tubers because they can be a little tender.
Also, because the new plants must be planted right away, spring sowing gets them the easiest start.
If your Alstroemeria is growing in a bed or border, among other perennial plants, it is best to think about dividing your clumps every 2-3 years or so, even if you are not in need of new plants.
This ensures that the plants remain healthy and flowering well, and will also help to prevent overcrowding in the growing area.
How To Divide Alstroemeria Tubers
A little more care is required when dividing Alstroemeria tubers than is required when dividing many other perennial plants, but it is still a relatively easy job.
1) Lift The Plant From The Soil
Alstroemerias have fragile roots and they may not cope well with any damage, so it is very important to be as careful as possible at this stage.
Place a garden fork or spade into the soil at some distance from the base of the plant.
Then gently lever to raise the plant out slowly, easing it out of the soil (or container as shown in our case).
2) Prepare the Root Ball
Now that the root ball is above ground, carefully examine it.
Gently knock off excess soil so that you can see the tubers clearly.
Again, be very careful not to damage the roots.
You will note that the tubers are tangled together into a clump.
3) Separate The Tubers
As you examine the root ball, you can now gently begin to disentangle individual tubers from the clump.
At this stage, you will have to decide how many new plants you wish to make from this parent plant.
Often, you will be able to simply tease the tubers apart by hand.
Occasionally, you may wish to use a sharp knife to separate roots that are particularly enmeshed, though this is not usually required.
4) Replant As Quickly As Possible
The key thing to remember about Alstroemeria tubers is that, unlike tubers of many other plants, they will not store well.
You need to make sure that you replant your divisions as soon as possible, either into containers or a suitable spot in your garden.
Colin Skelly advises: “When you are dividing more than one cultivar, make sure that you label your pots straight away.”
“Once plants are mixed up there is no way to know which is which until they next flower – by which time it is too late to move them.”
Remember, as mentioned above, Alstroemerias require reasonably fertile soil, which is free draining, in a sunny and sheltered spot.
If using containers, these should be filled with John Innes No. 2 compost or a homemade equivalent.
Planting Considerations
Alstroemeria plants should be replanted to the same depth that they were at in the previous location or container.
Simply bury the tubers and leave any shoots sticking up above the surface of the soil or growing medium.
Divisions of tubers should be planted to a depth of around 15cm.
Mulching around the plants with organic matter to add fertility, reduce moisture loss and suppress weeds to a degree can be a good idea.
However, make sure that the mulch does not actually touch the base of the plants.
The divisions should begin to produce new growth and flowers within 15 weeks.
Be patient and do not be tempted to give up on your tubers if you are worried that they are not yet growing.
Wait for at least four months before determining that something has gone wrong.
Keep the area moist but do not overwater – the tubers can rot in damp soil and prolonged waterlogged conditions.
Remember that more watering will be required when growing in containers.
