I generally try not to plant anything so close it will have to be moved for at least a few years, but I have been slipping recently ! hahah

As far as moving bigger plants, Kens tutorial is great. I have had pretty good luck if I take a huge chunk of dirt with the plant, and obviously pick a cooler time to do it.. Nothing likes being disturbed if its a blast furnace outside..

Welcome PL. You're in a good place to grow Hosta. You are probably far enough North so that you can grow your plants in a lot of sun, as well as shade. You've asked for a lot of info so I'll try to get all of it. If I forget anything I'm sure Ken will be here to correct me.

1. Plan for eventual size at maturity. Be aware that Hostas are sized by height and sometimes it's hard to get good information on diameter. I tend to use 4 feet for large Hosta and 6 feet for giants. Giants must be planted in their permanent spot. Once they reach maturity you will not be able to move them. Others can be moved if need be, but generally speaking plant for mature size. You can fill with annuals, ferns, pulmonaria or heuchera until they reach maturity. These are easier to move.

2. You can move Hosta at any time if you provide them with enough water. They will be set back at this time of year and in the summer. I've moved a few very early in the Spring before they have leafed out and had no setback at all. Here's one that I moved this Spring and it has thrived in its new spot.

3. It is not necessary to divide Hosta ever. The only reasons to divide are to propagate more plants or to deal with a large Hosta that has outgrown its space. I don't divide plants.

4. I would suggest you look for more sun for GE. At your latitude you probably can grow it in full morning sun. Liberty is not as problematic as GE, but it's not fast either. It can take a lot of sun, so once again I would look to move it perhaps in the fall to a better spot. Check to make sure you have planted at the proper depth. If you're not sure about that, post pictures here in this thread. If you buy plants from Chris, you can always email him with any problems. You might as well talk to an expert as opposed to pseudo-experts. :~>

Here's some eye candy for you. This is Royal Flush from a friend's garden.

Enjoy the trip. It's a lot of fun.

Steve

1. I'm guilty of planting too closely together but learning to map out my plants according to adult sizes. Research the hostas. Some grow fast and others more slowly. But in general, you don't WANT to move a giant. Some have really deep roots and don't like to be moved. Others are slow growers anyway, and setting them back with a move is gonna break your heart.

2. Depends on the hosta, how mature and/or sensitive it is. I moved a young montana Aureomarginata multiple times and that poor thing is just now beginning to grow. Then again, I also moved a mature Inniswood last year that didn't care one whit.

4. GE is a slow (or no) grower for a lot of people, but I don't think you should have had that problem with Liberty. I also got mine from Hallsons last spring. Unfortunately, I planted it right next to a crabapple tree and completely underestimated the root competition. This year it decreased from 2 good-sized eyes to 1 large eye. If you only had one small leaf emerge very late, dig it up and see what's going on. I suspect you may have planted it too deep or it sank too far in the ground.

Thank you all for the help. Based on what you've said, I think I will dig out and move my newly planted guys (they were only planted two days ago) so that they have the room to grow. Putting heuchera or others in as fillers is a great idea, why didn't I think of that?

I'm embarrassed to say - my GE is not GE, It's Guardian Angel (blushing). GA has not grown well. The other one that has not grown well is Segae. I will post pictures this weekend to see if you all think they are planted too deeply.

Beautiful photos Steve, thank you.

Eleven - a crabapple's roots are too much competition? That's disappointing. I've been eyeing my two crabs with the thought of planting under them. Won't work?

Steve, yes this is a good place for hosta! As you might imagine, a lot of perennials struggle with our climate. Hosta are one that I have had good success with - maybe that's why I've become addicted!

Thank you again.

Hi. Some folks use what is called "spinout" baskets, when they put a hosta in an area with root competition. I do not use them, so cannot give further information. But, you might check this forum for pictures of hosta planted that way.
It's also a form of vole control, keeping them from eating your hosta roots.

I discovered that some of my hosta which are in containers got rained on so much that the crowns are now too deep. So I am removing some of the potting medium down to the point where the crown can breathe again. I did this with a Stained Glass that was languishing with no leaves, and it suddenly burst into leaf. BIG leaves too. I'd already replaced it, now I have two fine hosta just alike!

Since you write about it, 3 weeks ago I moved a 3 ft 'Paul's Glory' hosta from garden soil to garden soil amended with with leaf compost. I broke no leaves, did not cut any roots, did not lose much soil, did not need Ken's guidelines. It is growing happily in its new well watered location in the shade, no setback.
Bernd

I moved a large- maybe three foot wide, Regal Splendor on a hot day in late July a few years back. Took me a long time to get it out of it's hole, because I was trying not to break the long roots. After all that wrestling to free the roots, there was virtually no soil left around the rootball. I kept the petioles taped up, watered it, and it never missed a beat. In the first few years, I moved stuff constantly. I don't remember anything ever being set back. Granted, now that some of them have gotten quite large I would not look forward to moving them NOW, but the smaller or younger ones, I don't really sweat it.

The only hosta I can ever remember coming back smaller the next year, or with less eyes, is Tokudama Flavocircinalis. That was the first year after I planted it...2007, I think. It's gorgeous now, so it caught back up. But that is one I don't ever plan on moving!

Years ago I decided I wanted to move a larger hosta -- didn't know how deep the roots went, so dug a big rootball --so big, I couldn't get it out of the hole. Used a combination of the shovel and my leg, which I somehow got underneath it, for leverage. But low and behold, the rootball was too big and heavy, my leg got pinned under it. I'm serious--there I was pinned under a hosta with a big rootball!!! You don't know what ridiculous is until you find yourself in that situation.

My first reaction was to look around my neighbor's back yards and call over someone out gardening to come help me. Not a soul in sight (or earshot) that day! I was disappointed at first, then glad--wasn't sure I really wanted all the neighbors talking later about how I got pinned down by a hosta. So I sat there for about a half hour, cooling off and getting my brain working again. Finally, after an incredible amount of wiggling and shoving, I not only managed to free my leg, but also to boost that big root ball out of that hole, and no one in the neighborhood ever laughed at me--because no one knew!

Needless to say, I now divide hosta and dig up the smaller sections if I need to move a hosta. : )

Kate

You can use a plastic sled as used by kids in winter, place the big hosta on it. I also moved a few weeks ago two large Frances Williams. They lost no time and stature from that move. You need to make a nice big hole with amendments for the hosta to be moved and water frequently. Now I found a large Squash Casserole from Land of the Giants to put in the place of a sun-challenged Frances Williams which will get a nice place behind two large arbovitaes. I do not expect any problems, only heat for me.
Good luck! It is good exercise, and you improve your landscape!
Bernd

Kate (dublinbay)-

YIPES! You were a hosta hostage! I've put myself in near-similar circumstances, and although it is funny to read about it now, I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time. I'm happy to hear that you made it out intact.

-Babka

I wish I had had all this advice about 7 years ago when I planned my first hosta garden under spruce trees. I alloted the correct space for each hosta's mature size but didn't realize that they wouldn't attain this size because of the root competition from the spruce trees. I've been filling in with smaller hostas, Brunnera, Heuchera and other shade tolerant perennials which I can remove easily should the need arise. 'Blue Angel' hasn't reached its potential but 'Bressingham Blue' has exceeded it. MY 'Sagae' wasn't doing well either . After 6 years I dug it up and discovered wonderful root development but scant top growth, so now I'm adding compost around my hostas in the fall and fertilize regularly. I've noticed a difference.

Regarding my hole preparation , in the past I dug a hole for each hosta twice the size of the pot, added a handful of bone meal and amended the soil with 1/3 mushroom compost, 1/3 potting soil with the idea being that the hosta would develop quickly in light soil. Only problem was the tree roots also liked this light medium. Secondly, the hostas settled too deep in the hole and so now I make sure to compact the bottom of the hole with water, make a mound and drape the hosta roots over the mound. I no longer add potting soil. In addition to the bonemeal, I add a handful of alfalfa pellets and my hostas seem to be growing better. If I have trouble with compacted clay I add gravel to the bottom of my planting hole and add gypsum to the soil.

This forum is great. I've learned a lot from the regulars here. I'm going to investigate agroliners for future use.

Like others, I no longer try to move larger hostas. Each new one gets a permanent home and if it gets too large I chop small pieces from the sides. One of the nursery owners nearby who has a large hosta collection at his home told me he often just tears off the outer leaves if the hosta gets too big.

Hope you've learned from my mistakes. AND I've decided to take wrestling lessons from hubby so I don't get "PINNED" by those large hostas.