Since some of you may be thinking of dividing clumps for the first time or someone may give you a very large hosta clump that is older and bedded in clay, what do you need and how do you divide it? While sharing some work I did today with a friend, they reminded me that showing the photos helps everyone with considering options! It is hard work with your back, arms and wrists, so consider that before starting!

We have been doing this method since the 1950's, so I think it still is workable, untod thousands of divisions!

These two clumps were 5-6 year old Neat & Tidy and Krossa Regal, probably 40 inches wide and tall. Growing in hard clay, so when dug some of the roots in the root ball break off and stay in the clay. No problem.

Use a steel handled shovel to break the clump out of the ground: beware of weak wooden handles as they will meet their test. Don't worry about damaging the leaves as we will cut them off anyway. Bounce the clumps on the ground hard a couple of times to loosen the root masses and break open the clay clumps. You have to see the roots to divide them cleanly.

Cut off the leaves about 3-5 inches from the roots. See those I cut and the clump with them still on.

Someone gave me the giant knife which I use to go through the old root mass to break up the clumps; the wide part of blade has strength and bulk, where the medium knife blade would break. Note I broke the blade on the smaller knife years ago but its one inch stout blade is my perfect divider now! The medium blade is for clearing crown rot or mushy rotten old roots off big root masses efficiently. That is an 8 inch wash brush for size. I do use a knife sharpener often to keep the blades sharp, and if working with root rot or dead root tissue rinse the knives often in 10% bleach solution.

Got 60+ divisions out of the Neat & Tidy clump, very little root rot even though growing in wet clay.

Krossa Regal was about a foot taller.

Again, cut off the leaves 3-5 inches above the roots. Here is how they end up after separation and root pruning:

These divisions are 1-2 inches in diameter; you can see next year's growth eyes pushing out in some photos. I clean all exposed cut roots so the remaining "meat" of the root is bright white, no rot of brown tissue remaining.

Will bleach tomorrow and replant - they may or may not show new leaves yet this year, depending on rainfall and ground temps. Do not plant deeper than the root tops, so those new growth buds are out of the ground.

With smaller and medium clumps you may not need as large an arsenal of tools but the principles are the same, just smaller root masses to work with. I may divide some smaller clumps tomorrow and photo them, if someone wants to see smaller clumps done.

Let me know if there are any questions. I did lose probably 3-5 divisions while cutting and twisting the roots apart - the divisions simply split apart in the rough treatment of physical separation .

Bruce