The hosta is one of the most popular shade plants that are cultivated in the garden or in a tub. If you want to multiply the crop, there are 3 methods for expanding the culture.
Share hosts: time
The classic method of propagating hostas is dividing the rootstock. The division has become established and works extremely effectively. Since these specimens differ somewhat in potted plants and specimens planted in beds, they are each explained separately in the following sections. The two variants have one thing in common: the timing. At the same time, this preserves the vitality of the mother plant, since the process can rob quite a lot of energy. The following months have proved their worth:
- March to April
- September
These periods are still in the growing season of the plant. In general, it would be possible to propagate the hosta across the division throughout the growing season, however, other months may adversely affect the health of individual sections. Especially over the summer you should avoid this project when it is very warm. The plants don't really like drought because they are shade plants that prefer a lot of moisture. Unnecessary drought stress could make it difficult for the sections to grow.
Divide hostas in the bed
The division in the bed succeeds without much effort, because over the years a number of procedures have been developed to get the wooden rootstocks out of the ground. You will need the following tools:
- 2 x Digging Fork
- spade
Source: Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA, Hastas breaking through (2427078778), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
More is not needed for the division, as the sections should be planted again within a short time, otherwise they will dry out too quickly. Storage is difficult. Once you have the necessary tools at hand, proceed as follows:
- Clear location around Funkie
- Completely remove above-ground plant parts
- stick a digging fork into the ground next to Funkie
- The back must face the Funkie
- place second digging fork directly opposite
- also with the back
- Push the digging levers down at the same time
- Loosen rootstock from the ground
- repeat
The rootstock is simply levered out of the ground in this way. The alignment of the digging forks is important, because only one allows the necessary leverage. When propagating by division, it is important to remove the rootstock in one piece so as not to damage it unnecessarily. Now cut through the rootstock with the spade. This must be sharp and disinfected so that there is no risk of infection. Then the sections are planted again. A suitable location has the following characteristics:
- shady to semi-shady
- cool
- wet
Enrich the excavation with a little compost or humus from leaves to provide the sections with enough energy. Don't forget to provide the site with sufficient water. Water extensively over the coming weeks to keep the sections from drying out and establishing themselves.
Tip: In any case, you should divide a hosta every four to five years, since the asparagus plants (bot. Asparagaceae) need a rejuvenation cure after this time. The division stimulates a growth spurt, which is an important step in maintaining vitality in older specimens.
Share bucket hostas
If you want to share and multiply hostas in the bucket, the process is a little different. Since you pot the sections again at the end, a little more effort is necessary. Since the root ball of hostas grows much more compactly in the bucket and does not become lignified, you do not need a spade to divide it. A sharp, disinfected knife with a long blade is sufficient for this. A bucket Funkie is shared in the following way:
Source: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, Hosta met Sutera cordata, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- remove existing pot
- Cut off long roots
- protrude from drainage holes
- Carefully loosen the substrate
- Use hand or garden shovel
- Remove Funkie from the ground
- place on a solid surface
- Soil does not need to be removed from roots
- Cut the root ball in half
- cut off diseased, dead or weak roots
Once you have cut the root ball in two, you can peel off more sections by hand. Make sure that each section has at least two buds through which budding can take place. Otherwise the pieces will only be stored in the substrate and will not grow. The hostas must then be placed in pots with fresh substrate. The suitable substrate is mixed as follows:
- 1 part high-quality potting soil
- 2 parts mature compost
- Add mineral long-term fertilizer
The finished substrate is placed in pots with drainage holes equipped with a potsherd or gravel at the bottom for drainage. Place the hostas in the ground, fill up and press down lightly. Finally, water thoroughly.
Tip: Although the division of the hosta in the tub and bed is slightly different, you can easily combine these methods. You can place the individual sections either in a pot with substrate or outdoors, depending on where you want to keep the young plants.
Alternative: multiply hostas by sowing
If you don't want to do the work of dividing yourself, you can try sowing the Hosta. It is particularly useful if you do not yet own a hosta that is old or healthy enough for a division. In this case, you can buy seeds in stores and use them for sowing. Otherwise, get the seeds straight from the plant after flowering, even if the results don't always correspond to the same strain:
- Time: from the end of July
- Locate broken seed pods
- mature seeds very dark
- Shape: triangular, winged
- just collect
- let it dry for a few days
The sowing of the crop can be done at different times after the harvest. Since the seeds only remain germinable for a few months after drying, you should decide on one of the following dates:
- right after drying
- until the end of September
- last date: October to November
To do this, fill pots with a classic growing medium and place some seeds on the surface. Cover with half a centimeter of soil and moisten well. The seeds need as much moisture to germinate as the adult specimens to grow. For this reason, you should either place the pots in a mini greenhouse or cover them with cling film to optimize humidity. During the germination period of seven to 21 days, you must check the moisture every day, because the substrate must not dry out. A little fresh air does not harm the seedlings either. The optimum temperature is between 20°C and 23°C. As soon as three leaves have formed, the young plants can be planted out or repotted. From this point on you follow the classic care instructions for hostas.
Tip: Another alternative is to wait for the plant to reproduce naturally, as it likes to spread on its own. If space is left free next to the mother plants, with a bit of luck you will discover young plants in spring or summer that you can continue to cultivate.