I have moved my hostas around many times in the attempt to find the perfect location for them. I moved five that are over 5' across and while they didn't miss a beat last year, it set them back a bit this year. I hope to soon find the perfect location for them so that they can grow to their fullest potential. As far as how many to move at once? Whatever is needed to get it right. I've re-done entire sections of the garden a few times in the five years we've been at this house and while it's a lot of work I believe a garden is a journey, not a destination. Of course I'm approaching the age where a garden destination looks promising :) So do what makes you happy, have fun and one day maybe we'll have that perfect garden storm.

Eleven and Mac, I move them all the time, regardless of size, weather (even in the rain) or appropriate timing. It's my fav. past time! Like you, I too have noticed that some, not all, don't miss a beat, this year or next....and it really surprises me when a few have the nerve to balk at me the next year! Lol. I'm only doing them a favour, after all. Plants are like some people...not all appreciate what you do for them. Some just like to be left alone. GE, are you listening? Lol

I keep telling my hostas..."a change is as good as a rest"! Most agree!

Go for it - I found it best though to replant before a rain or early evening - not during a heatwave.

I always thought you had to wait until season's end to move hosta - If Mac and Jo say I can move them anytime - Yeas!!!

I just moved two couple of weeks ago, one of them being a huge Blue Angel. Neither of them seem to have noticed? It's good that we have had a bit of a cooler weather and lots of rain lately so that it's easier on them. Otherwise, I'm very impulsive and if ants get into my pants, I'm moving things rain or sunshine. lol

Right after moving in August. It was getting too much sun where it was.

This year. Leaves not as big. From the move or the harsh winter, don't know but it will be back to its huge self next year.

Those darn ungrateful hostas Jo. Lol. Luckily most are overly appreciative. My Stitch in Time was doing poorly until I moved it, it's coming back nicely now. Thought I had a pic of it, will take one tomorrow.

DD, a part of me is a gardening rebel! Lol. I like to push limits in my garden...and share discoveries with others. My gardening speed? With reckless abandon - but it works for me. :-). MK, impulsive is good and gets things done, right?

Mac, I switched S&S and Sagae three years ago, then S&S again last year and again this spring. It's HEAVY! had to slide it on a pizza box - opened wide - slide a few feet away to dig new hole, then slide back again, position and drop. Whew! It is a wee bit smaller, but that's a plus for me, lol! (takes me a bit longer now than I'm used to, but I feel so gratified when the job is done).

lol, Jo, when I think about how big my S&S is, I can't imagine moving it three times. I hope I never get that idea running through my head.

Not unless those ants get you!,, lol. Wait! If you ever needed to move it, without renting a backhoe, LOL, you'd have to take it out in sections and put them back together again! oh what fun...

Except they don't go back together..they each make a new plant. Been there tried that. The alternative is to just cut out a hunk, but then you have TWO. At present I am up to four and the oddest part is the original

Arcy, you sure have a gorgeous setting there with all those beautiful hostas! My o my, however many hostas do you have??? How many would you say are mature? The split halved one is huge!

you peeps have way too much time on your hands ... lol

ken

When I move a hosta I have an opportunity to put it in an improved hole, that is with more humus, some manure and more space, better view. I did several this year. I don't do it when it is too hot for me.

Okay, evidently I've found my people here! I think my old beds are contributing to the large moves. Because really, I didn't know what I was doing back then, meaning I didn't know how I wanted anything to look. Now I know what I like in a bed, plus I'm getting to the point where I don't have patience for underperformers.

And yes, moving hostas gives me a chance to place them in a freshly prepped hole and remove all the attached tree and shrub roots. Some people think that growing hostas in sun is hard, whereas I'm finding beneath an old growth tree canopy is downright difficult some days. The best thing I can do is plant the biggest hosta I have in those problem areas.

Heat planting: I've moved and planted hostas during heat waves, and I can certify that none of us liked it. The plants also seem to lag behind for a couple years.

Late planting: Last fall I was planting through the end of September. That proved rough for a few plants that had their roots exposed after frost heave. It's also difficult to gauge how much the soil will sink or not. So although the end of season deals are tempting, I plan to resist this year.

Big hosta moving: I've done this with mature Sum and Substance, Inniswood, Queen of the Seas, Komodo Dragon, Francee, and Paradigm. I've dragged them around on cardboard, compost bags, shovels, and by hand. They're never easy. I always end up tired and dirty, wondering when I turned crazy.

Spring moving: The best kind! For one, they're just easier to wrangle without huge leaves sticking everywhere. If you do it early, the plant can't even tell. And yes, Mother Nature helps by watering them before and after for you :)

josephines I quit counting YEARS ago. I do not have more than 50 varieties, I don't think. I split mine LIBERALLY to fill the space. My oldest bed is 15 years old, but I doubt if any of the hosta in it are the ones that began life there. When I read Ken's post I think, hmmm none MATURE yet. I have steadfastly remained pretty ignorant on much

arcy, beautiful!

Eleven, I enjoyed your observations on your planting/moving experiences. I like the spring the best, also.

In all the moving of hosta I did, I never noticed one of them shrinking the next year. They always came back bigger and better. I followed Ken's tutorial..but NEVER managed to get a root ball near as complete as his pictures. Often times what I managed to unearth--the dirt fell away from and I had roots---but not the finest small ones that keep the hosta from drying out and showing no signs of the move. I did get many looks and questions about leaves bound with masking tape!! I did notice the ease of moving AGAIN a plant I moved the year before...it takes them awhile to settle in. That always made me feel better--less root loss I figured. My space is under 80 year old burr oaks. I water once a week rain or not. I hunt slugs with ammonia and a course or two of slug bait each season..other than that they are on their own. I don't even do a fall cleaning. Come spring I blow out my beds with a leaf blower and await the new growth. I am in the middle of MN zone 3/4

Here is my newest bed. I think it is about five years old. It seems to grow the slowest. It must be in the most shade between the trees and the house. The green between the bed and the house is all moss. It has TWO downspouts for me to contend with. For all its shade it seems to be the WORST for seedlings taking root. I may never "tame" this bed. I began making it a variegated: white/green bed but as you see stuck a couple of my favorite yellows after a year or two, and added the ajuga to help combat the seedlings. It is the one bed I can see from my bedroom window. I decided I should have a view. I am not sure it is working. There is nothing NEW. It all came from other beds, parts or whole transplants.

We give ourselves extra work don't we, but sometimes a hosta JUST HAS TO BE MOVED even if it's only a couple of feet over, right?? I've done that, you've done that, we've all done that (maybe not Ken). The other day after posting a pic of my Hosta Walk, someone with an eagle eye noticed a fortunei albomarginata in the wrong place - on the bleeping path! - and yes, it shouldn't be there but I thought was too big to transplant now. Thought I would wait until maybe next spring when it was pipping -- but heck, I gave it a go anyway. It was starting to send up flower shoots - that's not a good time to transplant, is it? Doesn't matter - I went ahead and dug it out anyway. It's flowering profusely now, about 2 weeks later, and it didn't even notice it's in a new spot, much better. So go ahead, move it if it's not happy where it is, move it if you're not happy where it is!

I've moved some hostas, the last couple of weeks...a large 'So Sweet' and an 'American Sweetheart'. I tied the leaves of SS together, which made the move easier. DH dug it out. Sometimes he can be so nice! The AS was easy because it was planted only late last year. I gave AS' s spot to a new 'Atlantis' because I needed a larger area for Atlantis. I've been lucky because it's been cooler and it rained afterwards.

When planting or moving small hostas late in the fall, I've found placing rocks around them prevent the heave. Now, if I could just remember that ALL of the time!!!

I've also been moving my hosta weedlings around like crazy...green ones in front of named blue and yellow ones. Blue ones in front of green ones etc. ... you, get the pic...sure hope they behave. If they get too large, I'm going to be in trouble.

Arch, I have a speculation about why the seedlings are taking root so well in the shade there... it may be the least disturbed area. I think I have seedlings this year for the first time simply because I did not disturb the area at all...as I usually would have.