With this article, you’ll never run out of this foliage beauty. We share the Best Time to Divide Hostas and Signs to look out for!
Hosta is a gift that keeps on giving. This shade-loving perennial is a great filler plant and is adept at decorating dingy spaces that are otherwise colonized by weeds. However, if not divided at the right time, hostas can quickly overcrowd, weaken, and eventually perish.
With thousands of varieties to choose from, this guide will help you understand the best time to divide hostas and telltale signs that it’s time to split your clump.
When to Divide Hostas
Fall is just around the corner, and it is a good season to divide your hostas—especially if you missed doing so in spring, earlier in the year. Both spring and fall have the most favorable conditions for your plant to recover smoothly.
Hostas sprout and establish fresh roots and foliage in spring, their key growing season. The weather is mild around this time, and there’s ample moisture in the air—a perfect setting for sections to thrive and parent plants to heal.
On the other hand, in fall, the growing season winds down, but the soil is still relatively warm. This allows roots to develop before winter. It also needs less water in fall than in summer, ensuring your divided hostas stay hydrated without any fuss.
Signs To Divide Hostas
Your hostas will give you signs indicating that it is time to divide. Now, avid hosta growers use a strange set of words to describe their plants and divisions. As we examine the signs, we’ll explain some of these terms alongside.
- The first sign is when “eyes” start peeking out of the soil in spring. Eyes, or call them shoots, are conical projections supporting up to 12 leaves emerging from its “crown.” Now, the crown is the energy-storing rootstock in dormant hostas. When this happens, you know it’s time to divide your hostas; do so until leaves begin to unfurl in about four weeks.
- In fall, as night temperatures drop, you can begin your dividing process. This gives you at least a month or a little more until frost or extreme cold weather sets in.
- At some point, these fast-growers will get too crowded and start competing for space. This is a clear call for attention and a second sign, your hosta plant telling you to start dividing before chaos and self-destruction reign supreme!
- Crowded clumps can reduce air circulation and increase susceptibility to diseases. If your hosta leaves are smaller than usual, its roots are likely congested, too. Take this as a sign to divide your plant.
How to Divide Hostas
1. Begin with Watering
If you start dividing hostas in dry soil, this may damage their roots and result in transplant shock. These shade garden favorites love moist soil, so water deeply a day or two before you divide them unless it rained heavily earlier.
And if your hostas were under full sun, give them deeper saturation. This readies the new sections for growth straight away without stressed-out roots and parts.
2. Dig Out the Clump
The next step is to dig out the clump from the ground or its container. Use a straight spade to remove the entire clump without damage. Now, gently shake off excess soil until you see the roots.
3. Divide the Roots
Now that the roots are visible, you can carefully separate them with your hands. Divide them into different sections, each section should have sufficient roots and top growth, at least one or two shoots or leaves.
If the clump is particularly large or densely rooted, use a garden hose to gently wash away soil till you have a full, clear view of all its parts.
4. Replant the Parent Hosta
After dividing your hosta, replant the mother plant in its original location. Ensure it is planted at the same depth as before, and firmly compress the soil around the roots to support it and keep it upright. Water it thoroughly to nurse it back into health and stability.
5. Plant New Divisions
Find a shadowy spot and fill it up with fertile, organically-rich, moist soil. Dig a hole large enough for its roots to grow freely. Carefully place the divisions in the holes, spreading out the roots evenly, and cover them with soil, gently firming to remove air pockets. While doing this, ensure the planting remains the same as before.
Water them once you’re done. You can then use Epsom salt to turn them big and bushy and to reduce transplant shock.
Pot up the smaller divisions and nurture them indoors until they’ve established a strong root system. Now you’re all set to have a recurring bounty of hostas, with enough to share with friends and neighbors. So, don’t hold back!
That’s pretty much it! Let us know if you have any doubts in the comments below. Happy hosta dividing!
