Households urged to do one task with garden centre plants to save money

Before you plant your garden centre purchases into the ground, consider this clever tip to make your plants stretch further. If you're planning to add new plants to your garden this year, chances are you've popped to a garden centre and picked up some young specimens hoping they'll thrive in your outdoor area.

Choosing plants from a garden centre offers a handy and quick way to fill your flowerbeds and pots, saving you the hassle of caring for delicate seedlings that need sheltering from harsh weather and regular watering. But did you know there's a clever trick to make your money go further when browsing at a garden centre?

Buying plants can quickly add up to a hefty bill, but one gardening guru insists a straightforward hack could increase the number of plants you get without breaking the bank.

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Adam Kirtland posted a tip on TikTok, revealing that purchasing a single plant from a garden centre could actually give you three or four plants for your garden if you take the right steps to maximise their potential.

He suggested: "If you want to save some money in the garden, get one of these larger pots [from the garden centre] and do this."

Adam highlighted that plants sold at garden centres boast "fantastic root systems" as they are usually well-developed.

Whilst they will flourish in your garden as they are, their complex root structures also make them "really good for splitting". Splitting is a gardening technique that involves dividing a plant into smaller sections.

This allows the plants to grow independently and provides gardeners with more plants for their investment.

Adam explained the process: "Using a sharp fork or a trowel, pop it in the middle and give it a good bash. What you'll get is two even halves of a plant. I know it seems harsh, but the plant loves it.

"You can either leave it there with two halves, or get really extreme and split those halves again and get four plants. Each one of these new plants can be planted out in your garden exactly the same way that you were going to plant that large one out."

Following a request from an eager gardener in the comments asking for a list of appropriate plants for this technique, Adam suggested dividing varieties including Hosta, Hardy Geranium, Sedum, Astilbe, Bergenia, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Phlox, Alchemilla mollis, Crocosmia, Japanese Anemone, Aster, and Campanula.

How to split plants

Pick the perfect timing: The ideal moment to divide plants is during their dormant or growing period, typically in early spring or early autumn. Steer clear of splitting during sweltering weather to minimise plant stress.

Get ready for division: Give the plant a drink the day before splitting to ease stress and simplify the process.

Extract the plant: Turn it out of its pot or carefully lift it from outdoor soil.

Divide the rootball: With your hands, a garden fork or a trowel, split the plant into several parts. Make sure each part has roots, stems and healthy growth.

Replant the sections: Position the newly divided sections in their new spots. Ensure the crown of the plant (where the stems connect with the roots) is at the same level as it was previously.

Water and nurture: Give the plants a good watering after planting to help the roots settle and hydrate. Keep the soil damp but not waterlogged for the initial few weeks while the plant takes root.