We have had a couple of good frosts now, most of the leaves have fallen and the perennials are starting to die back down to the ground. Before they are gone all the way this is a good time to dig and divide.

Perennials will spread on their own over time, but if you want them to spread faster here is the trick. When your perennials are dying back, dig around your clump taking care not to damage any main roots. Breaking the feeder roots won't be a problem as the plant will grow new ones under the ground over the winter.

Once you have your clump out rinse away as much soil as possible so that you will be able to see where the best place to divide your clump will be. Once you get used to dividing plants that step can be skipped because after awhile you will get to know where the best places to divide are. You generally want to split your clump through the middle and this can be done with shears or a good old fashion crosscut saw.

I was just dividing some Amsonia last year in our garden center and their roots were so tough I had to get a bow saw to get through them. Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree would have been easier. When you do this the first time, you will hate it as you feel like you are going to kill your plant, but don't fret. Once you have your two or more little clumps you are ready to replant them.

Now one of them can go back in the original hole and the others should be placed eight to twelve inches apart depending on the spread of the perennial. The perennial will continue to grow new roots under the soil over the winter and since there is no top to support they won't be stressed by having their roots cut.

You can help boost your root development with products like FoxFarm Boomerang or Root Boost. Dividing perennials needs to be done in the fall when the plants are going dormant for the winter so that the roots can rebound long before they have new top growth to support.

If you try to do this in the spring there is a very good chance you will kill your perennials as once they start actively growing in the spring you shouldn't disturb their roots. Once you have your perennials replanted you can give them a light topdress with a high phosphorus fertilizer to boost blooms in the spring and summer next year.

You don't want to use any fertilizers with high nitrogen in the fall, as nitrogen promotes leaf and stem development which is not necessary this time of year. Remember with all fertilizers like 5-10-5 the first number is nitrogen, second is phosphorus and the third is potash. Fertilizers that are high in potash are also good in the fall as potash is used for root development and overall plant hardiness.

Bone meal is another good choice for fall fertilizing as it contains natural phosphorus to encourage spring blooms. So while the weather is seasonable and the ground is still not frozen, get out there and dig and divide.

Although it looks like it will be a little chilly this weekend, don't worry things will still warm up again for a week or two in November. By dividing your perennials, you will be able to get more bang for your buck in the spring when your flowerbed is just bursting with color.

Besides getting a little fertilizer, you already have everything your need for this project at your house all ready to go.