How to Divide Hosta

How to Divide Hosta - In this video I show how to go about dividing Hosta as they are emerging from their winter sleep. We have over 30 varieties of Hosta in our garden and occasionally dividing them keeps them happy and healthy.
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[@itsallaboutlight]

I like the blue varieties.

[@libbysingscontrezzo8419]

I use the "Jim Putnam method" (although I don't call it that ;) for just about all my dividing - daisies, nepeta, hostas, etc. I just chop out a chunk, put it in the new hole I've dug, and use the dirt from the new hole to fill in the old spot. Many years ago I worked briefly at a small garden center, and we divided hostas when they were at the rolled up stage. We just removed the clump from the pot, put the shovel blade between spears, and guillotined them.

[@judyrocha1590]

Great info I started new landscaping for stress and depression. Have a husband that has Dementia and seeing ur videos has helped me a lot. I got 3 Hosta and can hardly to see them next yr. So much information tk u🤗

[@thatlittlevoice8292]

I divided an overgrown hosta one cold December night just as the rain was turning into our first big snowstorm of the season. The thing was much too heavy for one person to finish the job. By the time we finished, the garden looked like a war zone. Still, all of the pieces came back beautifully in the spring as though nothing has happened. Hostas are extremely robust plants.

[@coolroy4300]

YES ,that's how the garden grows .Well done 👍

[@slamrock17]

I saved my hosta seeds the other year. The plants all died back in Thier pots but they are all coming back now! Save the seeds!

[@RealBradMiller]

Yup! I have three hacksaw hosta seedlings on my front porch right now. 👍 If you have two different types flowering at the same time, try crossing them!

[@comonsense77]

Garden

[@pdcnugz9462]

I have roughly 30/40 different types of hosta This years seeds have come through and we’re getting some funky looking mixed up hostas, look after the seedlings and after a couple years you’ll have a lovely looking plant 🪴

[@jeankelly368]

A beautiful hosta! I've always loved them.

[@kso808]

This video is a great reminder to me to transplant a hosta to a shadier area of my yard!

[@glendapeters8899]

Many many years ago during my first hosta purchase the nursery owner, a very kindly older gentleman, told me to look for the hosta pots that already had more divisions and I could then divide them when I got home and get more for my money! Such a great tip for me as a beginner! Not everyone can afford to buy multiples of plants. Thanks for your common sense gardening! And I used the "Jim Putman method" last summer and yesterday I counted 5 hosta that were coming back from using that method last summer!

[@fromseedtobloommedia9340]

Two of my favorite are Empress Wu and fragrant bouquet, They both came back huge!

[@jaynedurling4811]

Great informative video. I needed this right now. I'm going to divide my hostas today, thanks!

[@brotherel8225]

Thank you Mr. Jim

[@lukmanofficial1504]

Semangat pak merawat tamannya

[@nilvlrod]

My favorite hosta is probably Blue Angel. It gets big!

[@harriettpavonrosado5175]

Hosta June is my favorite. I love all hostas.

[@katiekane5247]

My favorite changes depending on the day 😊 Brother Stefan & Sagae are always standouts. I'm still not sure on my specimen with the Seliginella fern, variegation is variable but always interesting. Finally seeing Baptisia spikes, they're so pretty with their black stems. I gifted a monster Elegans to a friend's garden this week, hopefully big enough to withstand & redirect her dogs . Sharing is the best reason to divide, long lived present!

[@goodgugamuga]

I have the Strip Tease and Empress Woo, and I like to plant them around my variegated Solomon Seal. I divide both at the same time, right when they are emerging early Spring.

[@jerrycorcoran1109]

My first year near Syracuse I planted hostas and the multiple deer here quickly got them. I started using stinky Deer & Rabbit Preventer and never had a problem again. I apply as soon as the shoots appear and a few weeks later. I repeat if there is heavy rain. It does stink and a shower is necessary after spraying.

[@eileenchang2173]

Thanks for the instructions. I have a beautiful Sum and Substance hosta. I was worried about relocating it as I am redesigning a portion of my garden. Now that I’ve seen how easy it is to divide it I am going to take a chance to put a few pieces in my shade garden. ❤️🇨🇦

[@sharonlindholm1927]

May be Royal Standard? Love it so much.

[@dawnb7457]

Thanks Jim, I'm a hostaholic! Needed this one.

[@HoosierDaddy_]

Great timing! Just getting ready to go outside and divide a million hosta! I've been learning the Jim Putnam way for about a year and everything is turning out great!

[@judyhayes9819]

I bought an elegans hosta at the local grocery store spring plant sale 15 or more years ago, and loved the large blue leaves. It multiplied very quickly. My favorite is probably one I only know as August Lily that has lovely white blooms in early august in my area and is vey fragrant.

[@susancrouthamel760]

I don't buy any, I go to neighbors n friends when they split theirs n ask for a few n I give them some of mine. Of course I only have 2 different ones in the ground right now but getting 3 more different ones in Fall. Mine grow so fast in my area Chesapeake Bay in MD n the soil is not the greatest. but they love it. I'm going to look online to see the names of the plants I think mine look like your rainbow one. I put a small piece in the ground 2 years ago n it has tripled in size. I love them as they do so well in areas that nothing seems to grow. Thank you for this video

[@paulababb7362]

Hi Jim, love your videos. Right now, my favorite is First Blush, then Angel Wings. Keep up the good work!

[@peacefish4422]

My favorites are Christmas Island and Mouse Ears.

[@rbthegardennannyllc4219]

Patriot is my all time favorite along with Sum & Substance.

[@louisiananana652]

You can eat the early shoots. Steam them. They taste like asparagus.

[@pennysweet9227]

I just discovered that deer probably like them because they are edible! I never knew.

[@trixier6505]

I have an Empress Wu that the deer haven't found yet. They usually do, so I will put a tacky wire fence around it.

[@sheilanaranjo4301]

Great video , I truly love hostas

[@JLee-pc2vc]

I have a folding saw but my weapon of choice for dividing anything is still an old bread knife. My favorite hosta might be Half and Half because it's little and cute. I also really love my Stained Glass hostas.

[@saraw8503]

Yes. I keep a dollar store bread knife in my gardening kit.

[@sharlet6521]

Try a battery operated sawzall. Game changer

[@milankatz9628]

I use my bread knife, too

[@silliaek]

I use a dollar store watermelon slicer.

[@kaittemurry4740]

I just got a new plant that had 4 stalks.. I cut it into 2 for what I wanted .. yaaaay I did it right😂

[@andielliott7721]

"OUCH" you are chopping off it's "toes"! LOL

[@saraw8503]

I love guacamole hosta, and sum and substance hosta. So obviously I like a lot of bang for my buck.

[@tertuetken565]

I wish there were varieties of hosta for zone 9b.

[@tomsmith9089]

Guacamole!!! Nice LARGE Hosta!!.... will need dividing next year (two years old in our garden this year). thanks again Jim for another perfect instructive video!!

[@karenbrower9952]

I have a nice collection too. I have the cutest little blue mouse ears. I also have elegans and empress woo giants in the community lol.

[@JimPutnam]

So many interesting ones!

[@debradiggs7489]

I would love to see your mouse eared hostas!

[@lynnwilhelm7928]

I'm in love with PDN's Time Traveler, but not ready to get it at the price right now. Gotta wait a while at $110!!

[@JimPutnam]

For sure! There are several like that for me!

[@GardenDoodles]

We love the white variegated varieties and have always done the chop-in-place method. We might have too many now but they really brighten up any area that they're in.

[@hermesperez3905]

I have been told they are edible. The first shoots can be cut and cooked like asparagus. Then you let the plant come up again.

[@Mousecaddet]

Thank you so much for this video! I love my hostas, and want another. However everything I read on dividing them was contradictory and confusing. This was such a comprehensive easy to follow lesson, loved the video.

[@gmann1030]

Royal Standard Giant Hostas are my girlfriend's favorites, with their white fragrant blossoms. She plants them next to our walkway into our house, and there's no mistaking the sweet smell as you walk by. She loves your videos!

[@colsen4616]

Hosta are so resilient and forgiving! One summer I had about a dozen clumps I’d rescued from their journey to the compost pile - some with soil, some with very little. I wasn’t able to plant them before going away for a couple weeks, so I stuck them in a plastic bin, watered well, and crossed my fingers. When I returned they were thriving even though they were sitting in water from when it had rained at some point. Some of them are ready to be divided now!

[@dianemiller7019]

Thank you! I have some luscious hostas in my shade garden that I need to divide this Fall. I’m in Southern Indiana.

[@michelleholmes5798]

What do you find best to battle slugs in the spring for Hostas ?

[@sandramulchahey8268]

Drinking gourd, empress wu and blue angel are some of my favorites.

[@valeriejohnson4816]

Love hostas but we get wind and hail. Would love some tips on protecting them. I enjoy your videos. Also, wondering where you buy your hellebores. Thanks!

[@darlenehickman220]

Hi Jim. I bought a large hosta from the nursery. I did EXACTLY what you did to divide it. One piece is doing great and the other half is laying on the ground like it’s getting ready to die!!!! What’s up????

[@barbaradobson9298]

This man makes me nervous. Just digging up a hosta and he gets winded and is having difficulty breathing. Needs to see a doctor.

[@p.h.c.1113]

Will definitely have to divide some of mine this Spring. In our area, Zone 5b, we have to wait a bit to see them emerge. I only have 3 varieties, 2 of them I don't remember the names, had those for 15 years or so. Last year I added some Frances Williams to our garden, because I read they can tolerate more sun.

[@maryB4514]

My Fatsia Japonicas 8’x8’ suffered greatly from zone 7B December freeze. Should I trim all the dead leaves and branches and fertilize, or wait and watch for new growth.

[@pasvilboo]

Thank you for the video! For your breathing I'm not sure if you could make it to three hostas divisions in a row...😋😁

[@JimPutnam]

I should dig them out and then talk over the video, but I'm always in too big of a hurry. Others like to make the videos longer for the KZbin algorithm by doing all the work and then talking about it. Trust me talking, thinking about a camera, and doing physical labor will have you out of breath. Thanks for watching.

[@pasvilboo]

@@JimPutnam I was joking Jim! I'm a big fan of your channel and I don't miss any of your videos! I wouldn't be able what you do 😉

[@melissabean8144]

At winter do you cut them down to the ground?

[@kelleymcmillan8078]

What if it is tightly bunched?

[@parsonsk1969]

Do you cut your hostas back in the fall? In East Central Indiana zone 5

[@terrivance8750]

Jim, My fav large hosta = Sum & Substance; for medium hosta, I'm w/ you on Rainbow's End; small hosta = Mouse Ears. 😊

[@petedetraglia4776]

I used the method of soaking the root ball and untangling the roots so that each plant keeps it own root system. I also spread the roots out in different directions when planting in the hole in the ground so that it get better nutrient take up right from the get go. When i do it this way the Hostas thrive in the same year without stunting its growth pattern. I use micro nutrient fertilizers with higher Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, and sea kelp to rejuvinate the root growth, strengthen the plant, and speed up the stolon growth after replanting. I also use Malorganite organic fertilizer on the top soil as it helps keep rabbits and other animals away from my Hostas because it has a slight human waste scent to it due to it being made from a waste plant... Great video and I subscribed...

[@porkchop0316]

Just split all mine up last week gave my mother-in-law a 30 gallon trash bag full been growing this hosta over 20 years love it when it shoots up it's little flags around July here in North Georgia good information right here

[@tarawatterson4188]

Neat overview of hydrangeas and some of the evolution of their cultivation in recent decades

[@graylagran7443]

I don’t know the names of all my hostas, but I really like Guacamole!

[@cath.lamontagne5357]

❤ everything I learn from your channel. Would it be possible to show on the screen of the video the names of the various Hostas?😅very much appreciated if you are able to😊

[@nikkid6395]

I have mouse ears here in N. TX zone 8a. They are coming back nicely after being transferred from nursery pot to ground last Spring

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I put in a Blue Mouse Ears last year, can’t wait to see it leafed out this year!!

[@chryseass.5143]

Great video! I will try to divide some of mine either in the fall or next spring. I am lucky to have quite a few varieties planted in my garden by the previous owner but they definitely are ready to be divided up as they are crowding each other out!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Jim. 👋🏻 Stephany . I like to collect hosta, I don’t have a ton of them but I do have a tendency to buy the ones that get huge. I have a lot of space to fill.🌷💚🙃

[@taylorswf23]

I have second year hostas that COULD be divided but they’re the stars of this Christmas-arctic-blast-decimated garden so I’m letting them grow to their “full” size this year for my own enjoyment. 😊

[@normahaden6502]

Rabbits are eating all my leaves !! Help..what can i do ?

[@MHarenArt]

I don't know that I have a favorite! I love them all!

[@markday5797]

Same here love them all large and small.

[@monicahennessy5648]

Lately, I am loving the Wheee hosta. So cute. When we first moved to our current home, the front west-facing beds were covered in hosta, a tender variety that would get fried every year. I invited a friend over who needed shade plants and we each grabbed a shovel and went to town. The hosta were already up and the individual stocks on each were so numerous (one of those wispy, thin-leafed varieties). We just did the Jim Putnam method over and over again on the same plant until it was completely dug up and its chunks in individual nursery cans. We filled up the back of her car and off she went. You should see how fabulous her shade garden looks now and you would never know that we mercilessly hacked away at those poor hosta. They are pretty tough!

[@Laurablushing]

I have 3 hostas in a big pot that need to be divided but I'm worried I missed my window since they've already leafed out!! Should I risk it and divide or wait until next year?

[@trishferrer8209]

I think you can do it now. But, it might take some brute force, a good tabletop, and a sharp hori hori knife to cut through the white, hard huge bulb. Jim showed roots, but mine always have the giant, hard bulb to cut through. Not easy, but doable, and won't harm the plant(s) if you repot or transplant asap. I say go for it! 😊

[@Laurablushing]

@@trishferrer8209 thank you so much!!!!

[@gretchenguelcher3995]

Hostas are one of my top favorite plants! My favorite hosta is Autumn frost

[@26alexther]

I love Hostas.. which ones are good to plant in the sun?

[@georgelee7514]

Some sun tolerant cultivars of hostas are: City Lights, Zounds, I dream of Jeannie, Maui Buttercups, Fragrant Bouquet.

[@thatlittlevoice8292]

One of our hostas is much more mature but we have several more weeks before the ground thaws and the spikes start to appear. Your hosta already looks quite leafy. What is the best time to divide?

[@katiekane5247]

As soon as you see the spikes coming up, the smaller the leaf at division, the less stress on the plant & less flopping. They're pretty resilient if not dried completely out.

[@trishferrer8209]

Early spring, when you see about an inch or two of what looks like asparagus emerging from the ground, peeking out. Little pointy spikes.

[@trishferrer8209]

​@@katiekane5247 I agree! 🙂

[@michelleholmes5798]

Thank you for this information. I’m just getting started on my Hosta journey. Lol. In this video as you were working at cutting them apart and putting in a container, tbere was a red flowering bush, was that an azalea? And if so, the name and is it a reblooming variety?

[@briangh1]

Hi Jim. Thanks for the video. I've watched it a couple of times. Question: Why do you let it sit in the sun for four hours before dividing it?

[@Angelina-sj9oo]

Would moss be ok to use in place of mulch? Replacing the mulch should I remove the old? You mentioned something about the mulch getting in the ground

[@stevec9102]

I think a round point shovel would have been the wiser move in this case. Both diggin up and replanting. Your not installing electric cable, afterall.

[@jeannesmith1761]

I'm in Pennsylvania in I have 30 gardens at memorial memorial Park in New Kensington and I've been doing it 18 20 years now and I use egg yolk and water on my hostas I use about three egg yolks in a large container large bottle and then add the water and then shake it up and spray the hospital we have till 1 dime when they first start coming up it keeps a deer away they don't like it they don't like the taste of that that must go down into the hostage self okay talk to you later bye

[@sylvierossignol9757]

I am getting ready to create a shade garden bed with mostly hostas…I got one that is called snake eyes…i am looking for bigger hostas but they are harder to find. My current empress Wu is not ready to divide yet. Do you have a rule of thumb for mixed hostas in the same garden bed?

[@JAKPM]

The deer in south central Michigan didn’t touch my variegated varieties

[@karenbrower9952]

I use an old fishing knife!

[@JimPutnam]

Definitely, whatever works!

[@mr-vet]

Thanks. Great tutorial and advice!

[@Debbie.H]

Hosta...definitely one of my favorites. Unfortunately, also a favorite of the voles, moles. Now, something has eaten my hosta foliage! I suspect a chipmunk. Do you have a sure fire way to rid my yard of voles? I have ordered castrol oil but haven't applied it yet. Help?

[@jgwood10]

I have many hosta and it’s a delicious treat for deer.

[@Debbie.H]

@@jgwood10 Fortunately I don't have deer or rabbits feasting on my hosta. I think I would throw in the towel. 😅

[@clairekline7774]

@@Debbie.H plantskyd repellant has worked for me.

[@pmsloan1717]

My favorite hosta is Pauls glory ! It reminds me of my dad

[@georgiawhite8011]

When should cut back host's? Late fall or early spring?

[@coolroy4300]

Probably a good idea to do it the first couple of years because the roots can grow very deep and strong?

[@CarRhi-Way]

I'm very happy I found your video. Your method is what I was looking for an answer on. Because I'm a really lazy gardener, I was wondering why u couldn't just do it that way. If I didn't find your video, I would have tried it anyway and accepted the consequences😅. Thanks for sharing!

[@dustyflats3832]

Lol, I’m trying to get rid of the purple flowered devil hostas. It’s crazy how they take over with just a snip of root. They are taking over the grass also. I never use herbicide but think I may have to.

[@tiyger28]

I have woods in backyard making hosta garden as new project thank you for your video , I found some purple hosta too can’t wait for them to grow 🎉

[@LinusCello75]

Hosta 'Hyuga Urajiro' (And mouse ears).

[@kelleymcmillan8078]

Can you only take a few starts or do you have to remove the whole hosta to get the starts?

[@stephaniehurley1332]

'Sum and substance' is my favorite 3-4' tall and 5-6' wide

[@JB-lr1tf]

Hi iv been de weeding my garden and my hosta is sending up new shoots Iv also noticed the same hosta has sent up shoots 3 ft away from the original plant is this normal or should I be worried it seems to be spreading through some kind of under ground rhizome. Should I did it out to stop it spreading everywhere I didn't think hostas did that. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

[@lauratruthseekingWarrior]

Can I divide in late May? I need to move some into a more shady area, we lost 23 year old wax myrtles that were shading the ones that now are in a too sunny spot.. I'm in Garner North Carolina, rural area. Thanks Jim!

[@lorethajones5956]

Rainbow is my favorite. But in my neighborhood, deers eat them all up.

[@dalenottingham2100]

I’m in NE Kansas, is it too late to divide my Hosta? It’s massive!

[@parsley7894]

Great video Jim. Seems like people I know either love’em or hate. I’m a big fan, my wife and neighbor, not so much. My favorite is the blue “Halcyon” hosta. Large and striking color.

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I have a large clump I got from a friend years ago. I don’t know the name but I’ll be dividing it this week. I’ll be using the JP method!!

[@ileanahernandezcaban6141]

I'm waiting for all of my hostas to come out to divide them and was wondering how to do it. Then your video pop up. Rainbow's end hostas are my favorites. Thank you Jim for your hard work.

[@a.p.5429]

Its edible too. Not all of it is the best but the early shoots and the budded flower heads are pretty good in a stir fry. A good reason to have LOTS of plants. 👍

[@johnsantangelo7773]

My favorite hosta is Proven Winners Autumn Frost. It has an amazing presence and color for a medium sized hosta. Close behind is First Frost, Island Breeze and a blue cupped larger hosta called Love Pat

[@ytubechannel997]

Is that a fothergilla blooming behind you when you were dividing the hosta?

[@greenthumbelina7331]

Jim and Stephany, I love hostas also, so over the years my hosta collection has grown to over 50 different ones. The best way to answer your question is to say that the last hosta I planted is my favorite one at that point in time, lol! Give me small, medium, or huge hostas with beautiful variegation and texture in the leaves and I'm a happy camper! ~Margie🥰