I would first tape or tie the petioles together for ease of handling, remove every bit of mulch, stones, etc out of the way, water/drench the immediate area well, allowing it to soften/loosen up, then use a sturdy garden fork to dig all around the perimeter of the hosta. Less chance of ripping roots. Sounds like a shovel will be handy too to lift it out of the ground. You have tight quarters there but I also moved crowded hostas and even with ripping some roots, they all did fine.

By watering the hosta to be moved first, it allows the roots to pump moisture into the plant thereby decreasing some of the stress and dehydration that occurs after a move. It would also help if you really soaked the new hole where it is to be relocated and replant immediately.

My other suggestion would be to wait until spring...when it would be in pip form and easier to dig out. :)

Do you have to move them this year? They are collecting strength for the winter and it would be better to do this next spring. Then you can divide them while still in the ground and move them easier. They look big enought to make more of them:-)

The garden fork will make a difference. Get a sturdy one.

[Heavy duty fork[(https://www.houzz.com/products/ames-4-tine-forged-spading-fork-prvw-vr~54113952)

Having a soil that compacts easily and is full of a combination of granite and brownstone rocks/boulders... I just broke my small, sharp spade shovel this spring. It has proven itself time and time again, getting into tough spots, through and around roots, and slicing into compacted soil. I also broke a prong on my garden fork :( ... which also has been invaluable using with the spade. I will be replacing both before I try to move another thing.

I suppose I don't have to move them this year. They've been there 15 years or so, I've just been excited to improve the overall look of the area. If I can divide them and move them more successfully in the spring, I can probably wait that long. I will need additional advice on how to divide them at that point then too though

sharpen your shovel first.. ken

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2000608/moving-a-large-fully-leafed-out-hosta-lots-o-pix

personally .. i would move the ones on the cement porch .. and leave the beauty there ...

ken

http://www.kubota.ca/en/productDetail.aspx?trail=&prodid=642&title=BX25DTLB

lol If only I could justify getting such big tools.
Are you saying I should move the hostas onto the cement porch? Like in a container? Sorry, I'm confused, Ken

One hosta has been successfully relocated :)
The green hosta (which I think may be royal standard and have been waiting for it to finish blooming to confirm xD) is in bloom, should it still be ok if I move it in the next few days?

Also, please let me know if anyone has advice for that little corner in general. I've been thinking that I will just keep the earth angel there so it can mature to a normal width and go from there.

Get it out and let that beautiful Earth Angel have some breathing room. That green one is so big you could gift the whole neighborhood with pieces. I think next year you'll be showing us your pride and joy Earth Angel.

Yes, as others have stated, leave Earth Angel in place and remove the green one. You should be able to work the green hosta out from behind EA easier since there is a hole left from the previously removed hosta.

When finished with digging, pick up a bag or two of 'garden soil' to fill in the divots left from the removed hosta.

Keep EA watered well so it can settle after the disturbance around it.

Before you know it, your lovely Earth Angel will OWN that corner of the porch ;-)

Well, I finally moved the big green one last night. It didn't go as well as the first transplant did. There were several tree roots (one particularly big) growing through the crown. As careful as I was, it broke into 5 pieces.

The one at top left is the next biggest "piece".

The others were much smaller. The smallest one completely flopped over. The other two actually looked somewhat different than the rest. The coloring is darker and they seem more corrugated. Maybe seedlings?

You can see the smaller tree roots grown into the hosta root system.

Nice work! So I see I'm not the only one who can not throw away a single eye of a hosta :-) Please show Earth Angel again next year.

lol Well thank you.

I will do that. I'm hoping that Earth Angel will grow all the way around instead of just on one side.

In other news, the smaller Earth Angel that I transplanted is doing well in its new location.

You documented this really well. It will be useful for
someone else in the future. Good work!

I have a foot nerve problem so can’t put my full weight on a
shovel. Doing as the others have suggested, but a good fork with a D handle is indispensable.
It takes less force to get it into the ground. I will just go around and around
as many times as necessary.

Moved some shrubs and hostas out of the way of a new decorative
garden gate installation this year. I had both the shrub roots and the roots of
the pine they are all planted under intertwined with the hostas. I started
watering heavily daily a few days before. I did have to reach down into the hole
and cut some shrub and tree roots with a lopper. Once the hostas were out, I
dug out the hole further to get rid of the severed shrub roots.

great taping ...

EA is awful close to that tree ... what kind of tree ... was it hard to dig there???

i would cut off the flower scapes ...

take the time to sharpen your shovel ... it REALLY makes a difference .... you listening linnea???

ken

Thank you (I'm hoping you're being serious and not sarcastic lol). I actually had a hard time taping some of them but they aren't flopping so I'll take that as a good sign.

If you're talking about the transplanted EA, it's a pin oak tree. It wasn't too hard to dig there aside from moving the small river stones. The whole area around the pond is slowly being re-landscaped though so it's not a permanent location. I will probably end up moving it next season.

How does someone sharpen their shovel exactly?

From one female to another.... I use a rasp/file and sharpen my shovel by gliding it in a downward motion toward the end of the shovel (all along the cutting edge and similar to filing your nails - no back-n- forth, just in one direction which is away from you., turn shovel around and repeat on the other side. The men may have a better or more efficient way to do this. But my method makes sense to me and I get the job done, lol.

This is definitely archaic but if you have no file, find a stone that has heft, fits into your hand, with rough edges and use it instead. I do this to sharpen my garden edging knife (steak knife) when I'm in a hurry. Yeah, I'll get laughed out of this forum but hey, whatever works, right? ;-)

Love this thread - nice work. I'm glad you went ahead and moved it. I believe the best time to do work like this when you are motivated to do it.

It is very rewarding to find someone who actually takes suggestions and follows through on them and reports back, complete with photos. I know I'm not the only one thinking 'good work' and you have all the qualities to be a great hosta grower!

Hey everyone, I wanted to post a quick update about the area. The Earth Angel is emerging more slowly than my other hostas but it looks like it's doing okay at least. With everything else out of the way, it's clear that it's growing right on top of (and in some cases, intertwined with) the tree roots. In the 3rd picture especially, you can see how much more tight the area is compared to the surrounding soil.

Of course, it grew to it's current size without any help from me despite competing with the tree plus the royal standard and other Earth Angel. My question is, will this continue to be an okay spot for it?

4/20

Also, the transplanted Earth Angel is coming up nicely.

I just wanted to say that Earth Angel has expanded nicely and is looking good (despite deer eating a few leaves in the back). It seems to be okay despite the tree roots so I'm just going to leave it where it is.

June 5th

Beautiful EA! And the beds!

Is that deer fencing?

Well, I think it's generic fencing (maybe this one) but we are certainly using it as deer fencing, yes. While we were on vacation, the deer began feeding habitually at that corner and so it's a temporary solution until we can find a more permanent one.

It's weird how they decide which hostas to eat. They completely devoured guacamole then started eating gold standard and then ate almost all of my tiny ambrosia and sagae. For whatever reason, they like eating THIS earth angel the least.

"it's a temporary solution until we can find a more permanent one."

Hunting license? We thankfully don't have deer. I do, however, get to contend with rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. They are all cute until they eat the garden and damage the house.

I live in front of a nature park. In recent years, the deer population has gotten extremely high. My dogs scare away most of the little critters but they are so used to the deer that they practically ignore them.