Dividing Your Hostas.... An Easter Weekend Job?
- John Plant
- Apr 3
- 2 min read
Most of our Hostas are now growing away strongly and whilst some will still be at the ‘pips’ stage, some will be unfurling their leaves.
Dividing is done for many reasons, The most important is the health of the Hosta. dividing will invigorate the clump and it will be healthier for years to come. You may simply want to increase your stock or pass on to close friends.
Perhaps this is the perfect moment for splitting some of your Hostas! It’s a long weekend, and that gives you 4 days to do the job.
From planted clumps of Hostas that have been there for a while to those in containers & pots, including your miniatures.
The task of splitting is pretty-well the same for each but using different tools.
Depending on the size of the Hosta clump, you will use anything, from a spade, to a fork, for the larger ones, to a hand fork or two for the smaller ones. One tool I feel is very useful is a good sharp knife.
The photos above show that once the Hosta has been dug up, or turned out of a pot, that this particular task is best served with a carving knife.
Take the clump and to help identify where to divide it, give it a wash to remove some of the soil. Then pick a spot to cut with the knife, between two sets of healthy pips. in this case giving two splits. In some cases, there may be the opportunity for more splits, but don’t be tight, make the split a reasonable size with 2 or 3 pips. This will help it get away more quickly.
Place these splits into individual pots or back in the ground. Don’t forget to water well and label the Hosta.
If you are splitting a large, planted Hosta, it is always advisable that the portion going back in the ground is a much larger piece than the other splits. The process of dividing is exaclly the same as above, but on a bigger scale.
When splitting smaller Hostas you may be able to tease the roots apart, or use a couple of hand-forks, back-to-back to help tease the clump apart. Some of the miniatures will readily pull apart easily.
In this video made a couple of years ago. (sorry about the expression!) I explain when is the best time to divide your Hostas. However it is really down to your personal preference and the manageability of the task. Large Hostas in full leaf are often more difficult to move, so dividing them in the spring may be the best option.
Hope you have a Happy Easter and can spend some time in the garden.
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John Plant
Rewela Hostas
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