Re: Speaking of hostas....
- Subject: Re: Speaking of hostas....
- From: E*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 16:47:45 EDT
In a message dated 9/10/02 3:46:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
corgilover@wi.rr.com writes:
> I'm not Len, but here's what I do, FWIW. I dig around the whole plant
> and pull as much of the root ball out of the ground as I can. I then
> take a very sharp knife and proceed to cut down through the root ball
> into as many segments as I need.
>
> I'm sure someone is cringing at my technique, but I've never lost a
> one, and I have plenty of divisons like this all over my yard.
I would do exactly the same thing. If the knife won't do it, use a pruning
saw. There will be bits and pieces that go to the compost but the main
divisions will be OK. This is best done in the early spring when the pips
are just emerging. That way you will have a plant that looks good for the
growing season. Also the soil may be soft enough to save your shovels.
Here with some older Hostas we have broken shovels, watered them in for days
to get at them and cursed over some of the big old sieboldiana types. I
threw two or three in the big pond once and they are still there and growing.
One of the few things that can compete with cattails.
After removing the Hosta, look next spring or even two springs ahead for a
few shoots. People do not realize how tough Hostas can be. Once established
they can remain in place without any water or fertilizer forever. They may
not look the greatest in drought but they will not die. Even when eaten off
by voles, if a large established plant, some of it will return and in time
you will have the clump back.
I am constantly amazed at the vigor of a Hosta. It might be a gentle warning
- if you allow a Hosta of medium to large size grow and grow and grow, you
will have one awful time dividing or removing it. The smaller cultivars do
not cause as much trouble but they can also make a deeply rooted plant
needing a strong gardener.
I planted a lot of Hostas some years back and I, too, have some giant plants
slowly being removed. The smaller plants have a lot to offer especially
those that will grow well in sunnier areas. They add interest when between
blooming perennials. A few have quite nice flowers of their own.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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