if you use a garden fork you'll damage them less..

Garden fork? Interesting. I wouldn't have thought it would be strong enough. But I get the part about it causing less damage.

I would use masking tape to get the leaves out of the way as Ken often suggests, then I would use a pointed spade shovel, dig all the way around and pry the root ball loose and then slide them onto a tarp and drag them where you want them.

^^ Agree. I always use a garden fork when lifting or dividing perennials. Although hostas can take a lot of abuse and still come back strong so I'm not sure it makes a huge difference.

And it will take much more than a somewhat distant photo to determine which of the many thousands of cultivars of hostas those might be. Are they even all the same?

no ID at the distance of the pix .... and it looks like there might be a couple types.. the left most.. might be lancifolia ... but that is just a WAG ....

i suspect they dont care about damage ... if so .. just sharpen any shovel ... and go to town ... odds are.. if you put them at the curb.. someone might carry them away ...

if you do want to save them ... check out this link .. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2000608/moving-a-large-fully-leafed-out-hosta-lots-o-pix

if you are moving them.. dig new hole first ... so you can just drop it in ... perhaps dig the first one first.. so you know the general size of the new hole ... tie them up and tape them.. per the link above ....

a garden fork.. depends on your soil .. in my sand.. it would not work ... in good loam.. it sure would ...

if by efficient .. you mean make it easy.. i dont think thats going to happen.. lol ... its going to be hard backbreaking labor ... see if you can get some teenager to work for food ... lol ...

ken

nicholsworth,

I think you are right! I just did a quick search on YouTube and saw this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XMSAKeTD7k

It's interesting. I've always used a shovel in the past but it can be really hard work, especially with hostas like the ones in my photo.

Whether fork or spade use a short handled one with a T or D handle, not a long handled shovel, so you can get firm leverage without having to grip excessively. Buy stainless steel if you can.

If you don't mind me asking why are you moving them? They look perfectly happy where they are at least at this early point in the season.

btw... and it doesnt look like the situation here... forks might not work under trees with aggressive roots ... you need to cut them .. to pop the hosta out ...

and to be clear.. i used a fork for decades ... severe tree roots are really the only downside ... and they are common.. where hosta are usually planted ... but perhaps not in regard to the situation in this pic ...

ken

good video..we have lots of tools and have used them all..pointed blade, straight blade, long narrow spade, garden fork etc..we have "fluffier" soil than average..I have a wooded lot and the leaf litter improves our soil..we've used shovels and the hostas were fine..on smaller hostas I've also used hand tools to dig them out..just so you know..my husband (not me - I'm slower and not as rough) has bent the prongs..but he put the fork in a vice and straightened them good as new..

I find a spearhead shovel with a D handle helpful. The handles are usually shorter which gives quite a bit of leverage. But I agree with another poster why remove those? They look nice. And it’s a lot of work. What are you putting in their place?

I'd use a fork or a long-handled shovel which provides more leverage and allows you to stand upright. Easier on the back!

pitimpinai..I don't have that tool..I can't tell from the pic..just curious - is the tip of the blade pointed?..it does look useful..

Nichol,

It is the best investment I ever made. Here is my very own digger:

I bought it from Brent & Becky's Bulbs more than 20 years ago for $79 plus shipping and handling. It was sold as a bulb planter for unprepared soil. The catalog explained that it was actually a tree root digger. I use it to dig up anything with deep roots.

Now I can find this tool only in the White Flower Farm catalog and on its website. It goes for $95 and currently is sold out.

https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/984798-product.html

pitimpinai..it's like a GIANT weeder..the narrow size would be convenient..it looks well used lol..you made a good buy..used it for 20 years and still counting..I feel that way about my Felco #2 pruners..they're about 15 years old and still great..

After watching the video I bought one.

That is one mean lookin shovel. I have never seen one before but it looks strong. I bet a track shovel would also work and maybe the cat it is designed for lifting . Love the t bar for stepping on . If not in a panic to move them it may be a bit easier in the spring when they are just coming up

Very interesting feedback!

The reason I'm thinking of uprooting the hostas is that I'm afraid they will simply continue to get bigger and bigger and spread into the driveway.

If that’s the only reason you want to move them, perhaps you could just keep them where they belong by digging out any part of the hosta that is getting too close to the driveway.

Take a sharp shovel in the spring and go straight down in-between the main body of the Hosta and the new shoots coming up that are too close. Once that piece is separated from the main plant it should be fairly easy to dig up and give away.

If you send individual pictures we could possibly ID them and let you know if any of them will get too big to be controlled this way.

When something like hosta (a plant that clumps) is way to big for me to pry out in one clump, I attempt to peel off individuals from the sides/use a sharp shovel to cut or pry clumps loose. Sometimes it’s enough to pry up a bit and then proceed with thinning/dividing. I’ve used anything at hand, a very large shovel, a heavy duty fork, a lighter shovel...

Oh and solid green hostas sometimes have nice flowers, it’s easier to tell what you’ve got when they bloom, at least it is for me as I’m no hosta expert.

I watched the video. Great video. Wonderful tool you have pitimpinai!

I found these tools on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Somewhat similar, but not the same.

https://www.amazon.ca/Radius-Garden-Root-Slayer-Shovel/dp/B01M1CCIWH/ref=pd_sim_86_1/142-6640421-2454700?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01M1CCIWH&pd_rd_r=1707cbf5-8ac8-11e9-b4d5-432c6a0843e7&pd_rd_w=YF26e&pd_rd_wg=HdWFz&pf_rd_p=29a85b27-a36a-4f8d-94ca-61aa962c5f39&pf_rd_r=7DM40Y2TH69FCBZYM16A&psc=1&refRID=7DM40Y2TH69FCBZYM16A

and

https://www.amazon.com/Root-Assassin-Shovel-Winning-Shovels/dp/B018WLVSU4/ref=sr_1_46?keywords=bulb+digger&qid=1560093004&s=gateway&sr=8-46

Thank you, newhostlady Z6 On.

I have seen those tools on Amazon as well. I do not think they will work as well for me as my red digger. It has the right wt, the right width and the right balance to tackle a heavy duty job. I am 4 ft. 10" tall and not very strong so the red digger helps me dig up the most difficult thing with ease. I think if it works well for me, it will it will work well for anyone.

pitimpinai, I agree, I tried to find one and couldn't. Root Slayer was (in my opinion) the best alternative.

just throwing this out there..some neighbors moved to South Carolina to a condo..they offered their garden tools to all of the neighbors..we're well stocked and not greedy so didn't take much..just one..a pry bar?..not really a garden tool but it has a narrow right angle tip..maybe? it could help with a problem spot..

I have a 'Digging Pole' which is an 8 ft long pole with a pointed end and a flat end. Great for digging post holes or any deep holes in rocky ground.

after a big workday I've been shocked to see how many tools we took outside!..you'll be using one and think "I should go get my "whatever"..it might work better"..it's worth a few steps to get the best tool for the job..

I seldom use anything but a garden fork and pruning loppers if heavy tree roots are present.

old_dirt..this is good for a laugh..believe it or not I've used these tools to pop dirt away from roots!..I'm not fast but I'm careful lol..

nicholsworth--Love it, you would make a good archaeologist.

old_dirt..hahaha..you're right!..I wear latex "medical" type gloves and pick out rocks..ugly pieces of vermiculite and perlite..ash seeds..if there was a bit of an ancient artifact I WOULD find it..

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!

I got my leaf shredder. It seems pretty rugged. The 'strings' do seem flimsy. I may just use the ones that come with it then drill out the mounting hole and go with the bigger string. It's 13 amps and most household outlets are 15 amps so it has some oomph. Not a toy. With the larger diameter string the guy that gave this suggestion says it will cut through pencil diameter branches easily. I'm not planning to put anything close to that size through it.

The Root Slayer came 3 minutes after the shredder. It weighs a little over 6 pounds (bathroom scale). A big difference from a standard shovel (whatever that is) Grasping at 3 and 9 (just like driving school) my hands are at the bottom of my rib cage. It is not a toy. I think it is going to do some serious digging and chopping.

Woo Hoo!

- Jon

they look so pretty and clean!..because of gardening I can sort of understand why men get so excited about tools..my husband's been playing with a new blower/weed whacker all week..he said it's to "break it in right" lol..I guess that could be true..

Nichol a guy and his tools is like a woman and her phone....That's how it is.

Jon..hahaha..sounds about right..here I am on my phone lol..

I just dug out every single hosta and heuchie I have, to pot them up into fabric grow bags. A shortish D-handled shovel worked just fine to safely uproot every single plant. An essential "accessory" was my friend Chris, who is 7' tall. He did the digging up and the digging of the countersink holes to put the fabric grow bags back into the soil, while I mixed up the soil/coir mixture and filled up the fabric grow bags, tamping the soil down firmly around the transplants' roots in the grow bag. We made a fine team, and accomplished transplanting about 40+ plants in three several-hour sessions.

Looks good Jon. Keep us posted on how the Worx works. I've got a root slayer and it works well against our maple tree roots (and clay and rocks with some extra oomph). We get a lot of leaves up against the house and it would be nice to turn it into mulch. Is there any issue with spreading leaf diseases? Many of our maples have some type of leaf spot I notice in the fall.

Thanks Steve. I have a Schwedler, Red and 7 Japanese Maples and haven't noticed any leaf spot disease. I understand it is almost impossible to cure on mature trees. Using a leaf mulcher would not be a good idea if you want to try and eliminate leaf spot. I'm lucky I guess, I haven't seen it and I don't see any Maples in Neighbor's yards. The more I learn about the 'Red, Brown and Black' mulch I realize that it is good for weed and moisture control but the disadvantages are cost and robbing the soil of nutrients as it decomposes. I will definitely post my results.