Every few years some of my perennials start to get a little too big for their britches… and need to be divided. Dividing plants can be a fantastic way to grow your garden completely for FREE!
Today, I am sharing my #1 favorite tool to divide Hosta and pretty much every other perennial plant you might find in your garden.
Table of Contents
#1 Best Tool to Divide Hosta and Divide Perennials
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When to Divide Hosta
You will want to divide Hosta when they get too big for the space they are planted in or they start to encroach on other perennials they are planted next too.
I usually divide Hosta of mine when they are spilling over my gardening beds and into the walkways around my farmhouse.
Dividing plants can be especially easy to do in the early spring when they are at their smallest but when you can’t remember what variety of hosta you have planted where (like me), it might be best to wait until they leaf out.
This past spring & summer I have been busy at work shrinking my flower beds.
They are beautiful but I spend way TOO MUCH time weeding!
To help keep my time weeding to a minimum, I have been digging out & dividing my perennials & hostas & transplanting them to beds where only weeds had been growing before.
Instructions for How to Divide Hosta
Dig out the Hosta you plan to Divide
To divide my hostas & perennials, I first dig out the ones I plan on transplanting & relocating with a regular shovel.
I usually dig a hole about 6 inch from the perimeter of the hosta or other perennial & about a foot down under the plant.
Divide Hosta with a Straight Garden Edger Tool
Hands down, my favorite tool to divide Hosta and other perennials in my garden is a straight garden edger.
Once the hosta or perennials are out, I take my straight garden edger I place it straight in the center of the plant.
I place my foot on top of the metal section of the straight edger & cut through the center of the plant by standing on it.
Our garden edger is the best tool to divide hosta & other perennials because it is sharp & because you are using your body weight to cut down the center of the hosta or other perennial rather than tiring your arms out.
(BTW, this tool works great edging your garden beds as well)
Our edger has definitely seen better days but we have had it for 17 years now & it still works great!
It came free with our first fixer upper (read about that HERE) hidden under a bunch of ivy in the overgrown backyard.
Here is a similar one on Amazon,
Fiskars 38.5 Inch Long-handle Steel Edger
If your Hosta is still too Big after Dividing in 1/2…
If your Hosta is still bigger than you want it to be. Take the 2 Hostas you divided in half & divide them again.
Depending on the size of the plant you are dividing, you may get 3 or 4 plants out of just 1 big hosta!
Transplant your Divided Hosta Back to the Garden
After dividing my hostas or other perennials, I transplant them back to our garden.
Or if you don’t have a spot to plant them I recommend offering them to friends & family that might be starting a garden.
I have even left a few divided plants out by the road for neighbors to take.
Some More Perennials you Can Divide with a Garden Edger
I have used this tool to divide almost every perennial you can imagine!
You can divide Hosta, liriope, iris, ferns, sedum, daylilies, ginger, Solomon seal and much more.
I added a few new divided hostas to my flagstone path (HERE) next to our DIY wooden arbor (HERE).
I couldn’t wait to show you how beautiful the sweet autumn clematis looks blooming & is smells SO good when we pass under it to head into the yard.
I hope this answers all your questions about how to divide Hosta & other Perennials and what I think the best tool to divide Hosta and other perennials is.
Happy gardening,
by Tara Lehman
Don’t forget to save and pin my best tool to divide Hosta and other perennials to your favorite gardening page on Pinterest!
Sunken White Patio Garden (HERE)
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