if your ground freezes .. and you have frost and freeze heave in late winter.. you would be better marking your plants.. and doing it in in spring ...

you should have done this in late july ..

wasnt there a prior post.. and didnt i tell you the same heave issue.. and asked how much dividing you were going to do???

regardless they will be dead to the ground gone by month end.. do whatever you want .. and dont worry about it.. and that includes throwing a few on the driveway .... and being amazed when those live throw and sprout in spring.. presuming you don hit them with the snowblower....

ken

Thanks Ken. Yes you’ve always been helpful. It got super hot here and then I got super busy and missed the boat!

Of course I would agree with ken! But I moved my last hosta at least 3 weeks ago and watered it in well…….we haven’t had a freeze yet here in Milwaukee in my zone 5b. I am perhaps closer to the lake than you.It’s possible that we will get a freeze Friday night, but we will see. If you were to move it now (after throwing it on the driveway, of course) the root system will not have time to establish so I would wait. It may be easier to move then before it is totally leafed out. That’s my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you do and keep us posted!

debra

come on.. third time im going to ask..

does your ground freeze ..

and how small are you dividing down ....

ken

That directed to me?

Yes the ground will certainly freeze here eventually

Is this a normal freeze or an unusual one? Hostas are so freindly to dividing I'm often amazed. I divided some here one November, one big hosta being divided into over ten pieces, and our first freeze may have already happened, but our consistent freezing weather usually kicks in by December. They all lived, even a small piece that I kind of haphazardly tossed away. They were WELL mulched in. Summer of 2021 I dug up some to give to a friend who never picked them up. They spent all winter ON TOP of the ground, but kind of buried or surrounded by pachysandra and lived to come back this year! All of them!

So, if you are about to get consistent freezes, wait. If this is an abnormal freeze, I'd try a couple and see what happens.

Also, per Ken's question, I did NOT divide the 2021 hostas much at all. The ones that were divided were only divided in half. Most were pulled out of ground as it. After this summer's severe drought, my friend has better come pick them up. I doubt they'll make it another winter.

This seems to be somewhat of an early freeze, but not totally uncommon. It will be short-lived though before that’s the norm in several weeks or so

Just put a drop cloth or freeze cloth on top to extend the growing season for the roots until the ground will freeze solid.

For me there is always a few light frosts and a couple heavier ones until using the frost cloth is useless in November.