Hostas go through a juvenile period which, from the seedling stage, can last four to five years and even longer.  As they mature, there is a fairly dramatic change in appearance - leaves get bigger, variegated margins get wider, puckering and other leaf textures get more pronounced - just about everything we like about hostas gets better with age.  Unfortunately, when you divide the plants, they revert to the juvenile stage and the process starts over.  That's the price you are going to pay for dividing your plants.  You may not have to wait four or five years, especially if you do not divide too severely, but if you were to divide your plants every two or three years, you would probably never see the fully mature character of the plant.   

So, let's say that you have this gorgeous hosta in your yard and your neighbor/friend/mother-in-law, after gushing about how beautiful it is, says, "Can I have a piece of it?"  Obviously the best answer is "Not on your life!  Go buy your own." (You might even provide them with our web address.)  But if you are too nice to say what you really think, or if this weasel is not going to take "No" for an answer, and if you've never divided a hosta before and you're scared to death you're going to kill your plant, here's how you do it.

There is some question as to the best time to divide.  Traditionally, I think most people considered spring the best time, but lately Bob Solberg, one of our better known hosta gurus has been advocating dividing in the summer.  Bob knows a lot about hostas, so he is probably right, but I've always preferred the spring and I'm kind of set in my ways.  Actually, because of the number of plants we grow here, we divide from March through August and the plants always seem to do just fine, but my preference is to divide as soon as the spears are visible.  

Unlike most perennials, hostas do not grow roots throughout the season.  There is a cycle of growth that starts with a flush of leaves in the early spring, followed by root growth, followed by flowering and seed production.  Some types go through this cycle twice a year, maybe even three times in the South, others only once.  I prefer to divide early in the spring because the plants will put on a spurt of root growth shortly after I cut them.  My guess is, that if you do not divide down to small pieces, it probably doesn't matter.  Who knows.

If you just want to take a small piece from a large plant, or cut it into large chunks, you can take a sharp spade and just push it straight down through the plant.  Just try to aim so that you are sure to get some roots along with the foliage.