With the appearance of seeds, dead leaves, plant debris, and withered flowers, the end of the garden cycle is approaching. For many non-evergreen perennials, this means they retreat underground in the winter, while their above-ground parts die back before winter sets in. The arrival of fall is marked by pruning back plants, while the arrival of winter means waiting for spring. But as Piet Oudolf, known for his four-season garden, says: “Brown is a color, too.”
In the spring, the underground parts of the plant begin to sprout again slowly. Perennials grow from the center outward, which means that the youngest, most vigorous plants are located on the outside of the clump, causing the center to become less vigorous. As soon as you notice this, it’s time to rejuvenate the plant by dividing or splitting it.
To divide the plant, you’ll need to cut it loose from the pot. However, this can be quite challenging if the plant’s roots have grown into the porous parts of the pot. To make cutting the plant free from a pot faster and easier, we developed the Flower Pot or Container Knife in 2019, which was also nominated at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2020!
- To cut through the roots, use both a forward and backward motion; the knife is sharpened on both sides for this purpose.
- The handle is designed so that your hand cannot slip toward the blade during forward and/or backward movements.
- Thanks to the variety of containers and flowerpots, it has become a long and versatile knife that can be used anywhere.
- The tip of the knife is rectangular but has a sharp edge. If the plant has rooted through the hole in the flowerpot, you can easily cut through the roots.