What is the best way to divide a hosta plant?

Question

I have several hostas that have spread to the point of having no more room in the flower bed they are in. Help!

Answer 1

Before you divide your favorite hosta, remember that these plants improve with age, both in texture and thickness of the foliage and in the overall size of the plant. When you divide a hosta you may be setting back its maturity by several years.

On the other hand, dividing is a very practical way to increase numbers, especially for the more expensive varieties. Make divisions in the fall as soon as the plant goes dormant, or in early spring just when new growth starts.

When you closely examine a hosta clump you may notice that it contains more than one plant arising from separate "crowns". If so, the easiest way to divide the clump is to carefully separate out as much as you can of the root systems of the individual crowns once you have dug up the clump and exposed the roots.

When you want to divide a single crown of a mature hosta, you will notice that it has several buds arranged evenly around the outside of the crown. You can cut the crown between these buds like slices of a pie and then gently separate the roots that go with each slice.

Remember that the more divisions you make, the longer it will take for the individual divisions to grow into mature plants. By the same token, the more mature the original plant, the more divisions you can make.

Last spring I divided a 4-year-old 'Paul's Glory' hosta into seven plants. Each new plant has survived and done well but, I expect it will take another two years or so before they attain the size of the original plant.

Russ England is a Master Gardener trained and certified in horticulture and related areas by the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. Send questions to [e-mail].

Answer 2

Split each group in half each year. Best time is spring or early summer but I have also taken some out of the ground in the fall and pitched them in the back of my property and they also survived. Obviously they are quite hardy and can survive extreme dry for long periods of time. They may not grow at all in the dry soil but they won't die either.

Answer 3

Wait till it goes dormant in the fall, then dig it up and break the root in sections and replant it.
Dee