How to Divide a Geranium

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Dividing geraniums is an easy and fun way to add to your flower garden and share your plants with your friends and family. To determine the proper way to divide a geranium plant, which have a spreading root system, follow these simple tips.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Shovel
Garden shears or a knife
Water

Step1

Water the geraniums the day before you plan to divide them. This will make it easier for the flower to recover after being divided.

Step2

Dig down beneath the root ball of the geranium plant and lift gently to remove the flower from the ground.

Step3

Lift it out and shake off excess dirt and dead leaves. This will make accessing the roots much easier.

Step4

Separate the roots by hand or if necessary, cut with garden shears or a sharp knife.

Step5

Divide evenly to create 2 separate geranium plants of similar size.

Step6

Plant each section in its new home. If you choose to do so, you can add plant food at this time.

Step7

Water well to help roots take hold.

Step8

Repeat this process every 3 to 4 years to keep roots healthy.

Tips & Warnings

Geranium roots will often wind around themselves and choke the center roots. Dividing the flower is a good way to prevent this problem.
Geraniums recover best when divided in spring or fall. Avoid dividing in the heat of summer.