That in it's self a good deal of work. If you are going to go to the trouble get "Spin Out" treated cloth and fashion a piece (similar to a coffee filter) properly sized for the plants growth.

It is true that maple roots come into hosta root zone but the main problem is the maple steals moisture in dry times.

Anything you do along the lines of lifting the plant is short term.

Search her for the "spin out" discussion.

please .. though i like to see my name in lights... use a post name that is searchable .... so that my pearls of wisdom ... anyones pearls.. can be referenced later ...

anyway ...i dont know why you have to wait until they are growing.. but they do come up on stored energy ... so making too small a hole.. and severing hosta roots is going to hurt them ...

but if you are working on a big enough sized clump of soil ... you should be all set ...

frankly.. maples will win .... take note this summer which are the best under them .... and move out the problem children ... and move in the one that have a chance of scraping it out with the maple ...

consider pots under the maples... and the maple will still grow into the pot .... but it is easier to move the pots occasionally .. rather than popping them out.. every severed root will be replaced by hundreds of replacement feeder roots ... IMO ...

i moved 65 miles from my old maples .. lol ... i won

ken

Ken, I have "heard" that those little helicopter maple seeds have traveled greater distances than 65 miles (one way).

So if Mapquest gets your address/location straight, your old maples trees will find Adrian and you are in big trouble.

Nothing worse than a spurned maple tree!

Bruce