I've planted as late as end of September...we've had snow as early as October or as late as just before Christmas..you have no worries, plant away..those in your zone and others who are more learned than I will pipe in soon enough...they will likely give you a timeline framework for you to use.
:-). Happy planting!
Jo

Well, let me repeat what I learned from Van Wade at Wade Gatton Nurseries. He stops digging his hosta the first of October. He is in Ohio, just about your latitude, right? At that time, many of the ones he shipped to me WHICH HAD TO BE DUG, were already getting the dormant look. I imagine the average date of first frost has something to do with him not wanting to subject the DUG divisions main plant to potential heave later in the winter.

They arrived here in south Alabama ready to go to sleep, but we had two more months of growing season, so they jumped back into the business of leafing out, and then went dormant some time in December. It did not seem to hurt them. They stayed dormant until fairly late this spring, when compared to some emerging in February 2012.

Just so they can settle into the new planting site before the ground freezes, it seems that is the main consideration.

I've planted as late as November here in western NC,but I've always heard that you can plant as long as the ground can be worked. i.e.,not frozen. Phil

I have found that planting in the fall as late as October (late-August-September seems optimal) that hostas in my area of SW Missouri do better than those planted in the spring and come spring, they are the ones that have developed the most new eyes and growth.

Might be different in other parts of the country. Summer planted ones require so much water here in the hot and dry moths of July and early August that they are iffy at best, and sometimes actually seem to lose ground.

Just my experience.

Sandy.

I agree with Sandy, but then any late season hosta I have mail ordered were planted in pots and overwintered under shelter.

fwiw, I would worry about the weather turning hot while in transit during this time of year.

You might contact the Kansas City folks and ask what they they suggest as far as shipping and planting their hosta.

Deb

I usually order my late season hostas from Land of the Giants. They come bareroot.

Sandy

6 weeks prior to the average first frost....
That's the 'rule'.
Here, that'd be Labor Day.

But I've planted here in early October and been fine.
Make sure they get plenty of water before they go dormant. And be sure to get the soil packed in nicely... no big air pockets where moisture can sit and freeze next to the crown.

OK--I'm going to order those three hosta tonight, water them in well when I plant them, and keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't dry out--which should be easy since I have to walk past them every time I use the watering system or head for my car, both of which I do several times a day. : )

Thanks for all the advice.

Kate

speaking off frost ...

the out-of-doors here is a veritable cacophony of cicadas ...

*six weeks 'til frost,* quipped farmer john

dave

Where in Kansas did you buy plants dublinbay?