I use my hands to pull them apart if they will pull apart.
If I can't pull them apart I use a small shovel and
try not to cut too many in the process. A small shovel is great for digging and dividing perennials. I can control it better than a heavier one.

I never EVER dig up daylilies with a shovel, nor do I divide them with one. I use a garden fork to dig, then dividing depends upon the clump. The soil is good here ( heavily amended) so it usually shakes off. I try first to pull the plant apart by hand and sometimes that works. For large clumps, I've used : two garden forks, one or two screw drivers, and as a last resort, a knife when the clumps are of the big, stubborn variety. The garden fork and square edged shovel are my two most prized garden tools!

I tend to dig mine up with a shovel, but I don't know why I don't use a garden fork, or what I've always called a pitchfork :) I dig the daylily up, shake off all the dirt I can, & use a garden hose to wash off the rest of the soil. Lots of daylilies just almost fall apart then. A few are really stubborn, I think it depends on the variety of daylily. For large clumps I divide with 2 garden forks, before washing them. I had one huge clump of hyperion that refused to come apart with anything except a hacksaw. Even that wasn't easy.

I think it just depends on how long the clump has been in the ground. My soil is not heavily amended so I use a shovel to dig around the outside of the clump, then use a garden fork to try to lift and separate to get off a section if I want to give just a few fans to someone. If I were going to divide the whole clump, I would bring the whole clump (very heavy) out and try to separate with the garden fork and the pitch fork (or fingers) that I have. I love my garden fork. If that doesn't work, the shovel is brought in again to chop it up, much as I hate to do that.

I thought the link below about the different kinds of forks was interesting.

Vickie

Here is a link that might be useful: Forks

I've never used a fork to dig or divide with. I do have one. I'll have to try it. Thanks.

I like to use a pitch fork and a stream of water from a garden hose. I had a huge clump once that I just could not get apart. I ended up using a small hatchet!

Nancy

On occasion, I've consider using a chain saw :-). Actually, I use the shovel to dig up and a fork and a knife to divide.
kay

I use a fork too and if it's one that's really hard to divide I use two forks back to back to pry them apart. My soil is amended sandy loam. I've heard people with clay say they've broken the forks if they try this though.

I have clay, even though I keep amending it ... I use a square shovel that's really sharp.

I have clay too, amended for fifteen years but still clay.

I'll have to have DH sharpen the square shovel. I have some grasses that need divided too.

The garden fork is great, but if the soil is too much clay, which mine is , then I resort to the shovel, that is rounded. I have at times, then used a really sharp large kitchen knife to cut through the roots. (that knife is now one of my gardening tools ) Always get a "D" handle on any tool, at least for me it is so much easier to use.
Cindy

I wish i could use a fork but our soil is way too rocky for that. shovel and bare hands , last resort a knife. It is odd this is posted as I was digging and dividing daylilies for my sold auctions to ship today last night and I came across 2 that were the daylilies from h-ll. There were roots over, under, on top of fans, side ways, through the middle of fans you name it and they were there! There was just NO way of avoiding cutting which I hate to do, I spent a good 3 hours washing, spraying ,pulling gently , picking out stones and just trying to avoid the knife.