$4 knife for dividing hostas
donrawson
10 years ago
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Comments (17)
jan_on zone 5b
10 years agoDelawareDonna
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Dividing a hosta
Comments (20)I'm going to try the dollar store for a serrated knife. ===>> when you are standing in the utensil aisle.. open your brain .. and see if there are any other $1 tools you can transfer to the garden ... like big serving spoons for working in smaller pots [they can be $50 at the bonsai store!!!] ... etc ... i also like smaller hand knives ... a straight blade chef knife ... and then go to the tool aisle.. and buy a small whet stone .. for sharpening ... perhaps a mail glove depending on how good you are with knives.. thats in the armor aisle.. lol ... in the garden.. a SHARP tool really works better.. and when your sum total investment is one buck.. just go at it .. i get so afraid to sharpen a $100 knife.. blah blah.. not that i have many [an old wedding gift of steak knives] .... good luck ... oh ... its counter-intuitive.. in shade.. let the cuts dry for an hour or so ... so they wont rot in damp cold soil .. they probably wont ... but why not.. the crown.. the part between the roots.. and the pips/leaves.. is like any other veggie.. potato.. carrot ... rutabaga .. etc ... if the cut part dries a bit.. it will stay in the crisper for a long time.. but put it in there wet .... stuff MIGHT happen.. do not read this as stressful ... you know what THEY SAY ... cut it and throw them on the driveway.. most will live ... especially a green one.. that shall not be named.. lol.. [couldnt help myself .. and if you love it.. good for you] some might suggest [if he is lurking].. to throw the roots in 10% bleach ... i wouldnt bother for a plain green one ... if you are inclined for such.. go to the dollar store bleach aisle.. and if you want to start some seedlings or cuttings.. go to the aluminum pan aisle [i have a big dollar store.. lots of aisles.. lol] .... and get turkey pans.. or cake pans ... the hand towel aisle .. the pop/soda aisle.. in case you work up a thirst ... and the laundry aisle.. since you will be filthy by the time you are done ... unless you were already here for the bleach ... i think i covered all the aisles.. unless you want to get some food, since you might be starved by the time you are done ... lol oh.. and the garden aisle.. for a pressure point hose end.. for really blasting the root mass ... like at the link.. and a hose end turner-offer-onner ... so you dont have to run back to the spigot over and over .... ken Here is a link that might be useful:...See Morerossizing/dividing hostas
Comments (5)oh ira .. so many words.. so little time ... i hope i answer your questions.. because by the time i got halfway thru.. i w as already composing this reply in my head ... and may have missed something.. lol.. repeat your question if i missed something .... [i think it was a coffee buzz thing.. lol] ... that picture is older than time.. there used to be a link at the library for such pix .... check the link below for dividing.. first off.. as to the diagram.. who in the heck plants their hosta with the crowns 4 inches underground.. so that you have to pull back that much soil???.. that ought to tell yo how old school this is ... second.. the number of buds a plant puts out.. is a function of its root mass ... you are NEVER going to 'trigger' more buds than the roots can grow ... so ask yourself.. what exactly would be the point of doing this??? leave your plants alone.. and when they mature.. you will have more than enough.. and you can not 'force' early maturity.. but cutting them up .. eh??? there are three parts to a hosta ... the leaves above.. the roots below.. in the middle is a potato like structure ... part of which is the basal plate .. when you cut that potato.. that plate.. you can trigger a bud on each side of the cut.. or cut twice for 4.. or 4 times for 16.. etc ... but as i note.. what about the root mass??.. and why leave it in the ground.. just do it like at the link ... [you will end up with 16 MICRO plants!!! .. because of the lack of root mass]] this is so old school.. only zumbar perfected it.. GRHS .... if you want more.. dig your hosta up.. do surgery.. and go for it ..... like at the link ... i too.. long ago.. thought this was some magical potion for cutting the maturity curve.. it isnt.. grow the roots .... and the plant will follow.. field of dreams and all that.. all that said .. if you are the experimenter type.. well.. go for it.. dont let me stop you .... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link...See MoreHosta website for i.d., and To divide or not to divide?
Comments (16)Regarding location of planting...I am in Wisconsin...and have hostas in the sun and shade. I think you have to consider your own habits and lifestyle. A big, beautiful hosta in full sun with a big ugly sunburn is not attractive. My S & S got sunburned last year when I was away for a long weekend, and it looked bad the rest of the year to me. Think about the hostas planted out in front of businesses in stone...they usually look decent through June, and then they are an ugly mess for the rest of the season. I am a lazy gardener when the July/August heat waves hit and I also like to travel. No one in my family but me cares about the hostas, and I can't afford to hire someone to water when I am away. For all those reasons, I don't really like to plant my hostas in full sun if I don't have to....See Morereally old, overgrown, never divided hostas..need some advice
Comments (14)whatttt?????? you said: They look a little ridiculous as the leaves are sooo crowded. that is kinda the whole point of a mature clump of hosta ... no need to EVER divide a clump .... unless you need the exercise ... but if you want to dig them up year after year ... feel free .. they are your hosta .... most hosta start looking ratty in august .... so that is a good time to dig and divide .. yes.. they will look like heck for the rest of the year ... but will be just peachy in spring ... dig up half the clump.. insert shovel.. jump on it until you get through it... then rip out half ... or quarter it ... or do surgery down to 1000 individual pieces ... as long as it has the leaves.. a piece of crown and a root .. it will probably grow .... or just throw them on the driveway and run them over a few time.. and plant the bits and pieces .. and you will have a 1000 new plants ... they are hosta.. you are going to have to try real hard to kill them ... good luck ken...See More
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
10 years agoidiothe
10 years agoBabka NorCal 9b
10 years agoUser
10 years ago
funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
10 years ago
don_in_colorado
10 years agoI've trained the rabbits to handle my division work for me. They do surprisingly well.
Don B.
hostahillbilly
10 years agoCOdonLorado , HAI !
Moc - sawzall - Brilliant ! I'll need longer blades.
This pic is of my mini-hosta dividing tools:
bragu_DSM 5
10 years ago
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years agojosephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years agodon_in_colorado
10 years agovina538
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
djacob Z6a SE WI
3 years agoHere’s what I use for breaking up a large hosta.......
Bert, my neighbor.....not cheap, but no back strain for me!!
debra
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Babka NorCal 9b