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Newly planted hostas need an inch of water a
week.
1. Get the right tools for your soil. You will find it
easiest and safer to use a garden fork with flat blades rather than a
spade or shovel.
2. Dig around the hosta plant, starting 6 to 18 inches
from the base, depending on the clump size. Once you have cut a circle
around the clump, loosen some of the soil within the circle and gently
lift the hosta out of the ground.
3. If you are new at dividing hostas or other
perennials, washing the dirt off the clump can be helpful to see the
individual plants and their rhizomes (from where the roots grow). Also
wash the plant if you are unsure of how the individual plants are growing
and you don't want to slice one in half (particularly if the hosta is a
slow-growing expensive one). Do not worry about damaging the roots with
the water, because hostas' roots are tough.
4. If possible, separate the individual plants by
hand, by gently forcing your thumbs between the stems, and easing the
stems apart. To remove a stem from the crown, use a back and forth pulling
motion and not a side-wise motion (hold the core plant in one hand, and
grab the stem in the other, rotate the stem-holding back and forth), work
the stem back and forth until the rhizome comes loose or breaks from the
crown. The rhizome will break at the appropriate point.
5. If the clump is very large or for some varieties,
it may just be easier to use the serrated kitchen knife to cut through the
clump. Cut the clump in various sizes, in half, into thirds, or
quarters.
6. Start by spreading the roots so that you determine
where you want to cut. Try to keep as many roots and stems as possible, by
making cuts through the crown but not into the roots. Start by cutting the
crown in half, if you are really careful you can navigate around the
stems; if the clump is really large, sometimes it is just easier to cut in
half, without much concern about losing a few stems.
7. If possible, make the cut about half way through
the crown and then see if you can pull it apart by hand; use the same back
and forth pulling motion. In this case, hold each half in one hand, and
gently rotate the halves in opposite directions, then rotate back and
forth each time applying a bit more pressure and simultaneously exerting
pressure to move the halves away from each other. If you can't pull it
apart then make the cut deeper.
8. Washing between cuts to remove soil can improve
your insight into how the plant’s stems are growing, and to see where to
cut or pull apart.
9. Remove some older, larger leaves or cutting the
foliage back at the time of dividing will reduce water loss and help to
minimize shock.
10. Plant the divided plants. Do not think that a
small piece might not grow. It's amazing how resilient these plants are
and you might as well plant the little pieces alongside a larger plant.
11. Do not let the roots dry out too much. If you cannot plant them right
away, place some moist dirt or peat moss on the roots and store them away
from sun light.
12. If the plants' roots dry some before you get a
chance to replant, soak the plant in a bucket of water for two
hours.
13. For stem divisions resulting from pulling plants
apart and which have a nice balanced root distribution, plant these
divisions at their original level, so that the white basal portions of the
stems are just under the ground and you cannot see them. If you have
washed the roots or the roots are not holding much soil, make a good size
hole and spread the roots out in a fan. Replace the soil, pressing firmly
with the heel of your hand around the plant, and water the plants well so
no large air pockets in the soil exist.
14. If you had to use the knife to cut the clump,
plant these smaller now-divided clumps at the same height as they were
growing, or just slightly deeper and water in well.
15. Make sure newly divided hostas receive water every
few days during first two weeks. | 
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