}
Q
How and when should I divide my hosta?
WIM VANDER ZALM answers: Dividing a hosta,
or any other perennial for that matter, is a process of
splitting the mother plant into two, three or four or
more parts that will become independent new plants.
Generally speaking, the best time to divide your hosta
is mid-March to April after all fear of heavy frost is
gone.
Start by completely digging your hosta out of the
ground. The root system is quite dense and compact,
so getting it out should not be too onerous if you
simply work your spade as deep as possible around
the entire plant just beyond the root zone. Be careful to find that sweet spot where the spade easily
penetrates the earth without slicing into any roots.
Next, slide the spade underneath the clump to pry
it out of the ground.
Now you will require two garden forks. While
you can chop the clump into four even sections
using a shovel, my preference is to insert two forks
– back to back – into the centre of the clump and
pry the plant apart. Once the
clump is in two sections, divide
them into two more. I don't usually recommend splitting the
mother clump into more than
four pieces.
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13-01-23 11:36 AM
