How to Divide & Transplant Hostas
Hostas are easy to divide and can give your outdoor landscape lasting beauty for years to come. Dividing hostas may be done any time of the year, but August is best because new roots are actively growing. With a little practice, you can produce beautiful plants that will never look as though they have been transplanted. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Start with a clump that is at least three years old. Using a shovel, carefully dig up the plants. Dig around the clump. Start 6 inches from the edge of the crown of the plant, cutting a circle around the clump. Pry the clump loose and gently pull it out of the ground.
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Wash the roots in a water-filled bucket. Pull the roots upward and off to their sides and wash them repeatedly. Separate each cluster of roots, making sure you keep all of the leaves and as many roots as you can.
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Pull any removable stems from the crown. Wash the clump again after you have removed them. Repeat the process.
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Use a sharp knife to separate the plant into two sections. Make your cuts through the crown and not into the roots, spreading them out to locate an area to make the cut. Cut halfway though, then try to pull them apart by hand using a back and forth pulling motion. Wash dirt from the roots if necessary.
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Plant the divided hosta right away if possible about 1 ½ inches deep. Spread out the roots and cover them with soil, making sure none of the white crowns can be seen. Avoid stepping on the soil surrounding the plants.
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Space dwarf plants 6 to 8 inches apart, smalls 12 to 18 inches apart, medium varieties 18 to 24 inches apart and the larger varieties at 30 to 36 inches apart. Spacing in this manner will give your garden a "filled-in" look in just two years. Remember that some varieties will reproduce faster and spread more quickly than others.
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Add plenty of water to minimize transplant shock and encourage development of new roots.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not let the roots dry out. If you are unable to plant immediately, cover the roots with peat moss or moist soil and place them in a densely shaded area. Soak them in a bucket of water for a few hours if they dry out again. Leaving them in water for more than a day will rot the roots.
Fertilizing the plants is not recommended until the new plant has put out new roots and has become stable. A time-released fertilizer is the exception and may be used sparingly.
References
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