up vote 9 down vote favorite
share [g+] share [fb]

I have some hosta plants that are getting quite large and are crowded where they are located right now. What do I need to worry about when moving/splitting hostas?

link|improve this question
feedback

1 Answer

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Don't know if this is the best technique but here is what I did and it worked :)

Go all around the clump pushing in a shovel as far as it will go. You should now be able to pry/lift the plant out of the hole with the root/dirt ball intact. Work the shovel down between the plant stems to slice/pry them apart trying to keep as many of the roots attached to their stems as possible. I divided the root ball into quarters leaving a generous clump (5-10) of stems with lots of roots still attached for planting.

link|improve this answer
This method worked for me as well. The best time to move hostas is late summer/early fall or spring. – Shanna Jun 16 '11 at 9:24
1  
They're pretty tough - I ended up using an axe to split one of mine, and judging from the results it thrives on abuse. – chris Jun 16 '11 at 17:20
1  
I use an old hand saw to split plants. Sure, it cuts some roots, but it's pretty non-damaging to everything but the actual cut portion. – pboin Jun 21 '11 at 15:52
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.