Gentians blue

[Ember]

My next door neighbour is offering me a cutting of her gentian and is not sure how to go about it. Any help please.

[Thunderbird+]

The best way to do this is to dig up a clump and divide it up into smaller clumps then re-plant them to make lots of extra plants, leaving room for them to merge together again, doing this approx every 3 years will help the plant as they tend to die off from the centre over time.

Summer and autumn flowering ones- devide clumps in spring.

Spring flowering species are best diveded in midsummer.
That whats recomended but I dont think it would do much harm to cut a piece off the edge of a clump now if you dont want to wait that long. Good Luck Tbird+

[Homer55]

id ask her to wash it first!

[Ember]

Thankyou Thunderbird. I think the difficulty is that there doesn't seem to be any clear cuttings, just a knot in the middle, but we will give it a go. I hope its successful because the colour is to die for. Cheers

[Thunderbird+]

Hi Ember, Yes Gentian is the best blue ever!
It sounds like a very old plant your neighbour has, with that knot in the middle, usually instead of cuttings as such, you would split clumps up.
Another method that may just work is to plunge a small pot into the soil, under where the plant trails over the soil then peg it into the pot (containing a good potting compost) and hopefully it may take root. I'd wait until spring before checking whether its rooted though.
Wishing you success Tbird+