I bet some could do it with a field of Lancifolia ken! LOL

If I had 11 more I would have 22 and I'd do it next summer. That would leave me with two to keep going.

Les

Interesting observation, Ken.

We often speak in terms of 'mature' divisions when, in fact, you can have less than mature hosta divisions. That particular June that you referenced is what I'd call a teenaged-young adult divide...about a growing season shy of being mature.

I've divided a lot of hosta but most all of 'em have been common ones like albomarginata or 'the green one' and have not paid any attention to the size of the divide in relation to the next year's performance. Or Halcyon which is slowern' molasses so there's never much to see! (Of course, Halcyon will take a lot of abuse and mine have been mostly ignored...)

However, I did purchase a Touch of Class 'mature' division this summer. In reality, it wasn't quite that. Had an offset that I divided off and planted separately in a pot to baby along. The larger division was planted in the ground early this summer; the smaller one I kept in a pot to baby along and just planted it yesterday. I'm keen to see what it will look like Next year. TOC, being in the Halcyon family, hopefully isn't so slow as H.

OTOH, I look around at all the Halcyon plants that I have divided off one original plant & realize that I'd a one spectacular H specimen only if I hadn't been so shovel happy.

Interesting Ken, I've been thinking about this for a while. I have some seedlings that I started in the hydroplanter this winter and moved outdoors in pots this summer. I transplanted the plain green ones into the park in back of me last week and was amazed at the root balls on these hostas ..... first year seedlings with a root mass larger than some of my second and third year tissue cultures.

Gesila

I like the image you create there, Ken. It seems valid to me.

Even after 4 or 5 years being cut down, the roots of a big pine stump (left it tall for the wild birds and vines to climb), I'm digging out roots partially decayed, or finding the fungi that are nourished by such roots in far corners of the garden.

I've sized my hosta pots according to the root mass, not the top growth. Could that be why I'm winding up with much bigger tops at the end of the season?

Another interesting article about good trees for the hosta garden is in the current issue of The Hosta Journal. If you are a member, you get the issue. I'm pleased to note that my choice tree, ginkgo biloba, is among the good trees.
My river birch (betula negra) is not...hopefully those riverbank roots won't be travelling 100 feet to make digging any more of a problem than it is.

Overall, I think I'm liking the idea of hosta in containers more every day. That article in The Hosta Journal about the Goodwin Garden in Britain, he has 350 hosta in containers, and it is a show place! I should LIVE SO LONG, to see it happen here? Naaaaaah.