My gut tells me they'd be better off if the pot-bound roots were teased out where they could grow in a quality potting medium with room to spread even though they'll go dormant before you plant them. I grow both Guacamole & Liberty; Liberty takes a few years to reach its mature size. Mine did this year after being in the ground since 2007 or so.

For your own peace of mind and to protect your investment, unless others with more experience weigh in, I'd lean toward repotting them.

Good luck. I love ALL my 50+ hosta cultivars. I'm also reasonably certain I have the entire squadron of Revolutionary War cultivars--Patriot, Minuteman, Independence, Revolution.

do you have any experience with pots over winter???

where are you with a bit more specificity ...

what is your native soil ..

i would probably heel them in.. and let ma nature take care of them ....

pots are a PIA ... in my ground freee z5 .. MI

ORRRRRRR .. just leave them on the driveway.. why are you defaulting to trying to kill them with too much love??? ..

if the beds ready.. just plant them ... as they are.. and work on them in spring ... i wouldnt go cutting them up.. or doing extensive root work late in the year ... in my z5 ....

ken

If you transplant and tease out the roots in October, you will likely stimulate growth. That's the last thing you want before winter sets in. However, if the bed is ready, plant them in the ground in October. I plant most of my gardens here in November-December and have not lost a hosta this way yet. They will be safest and happiest in the ground.

The soil is loamy. I won't have the bed ready until the Spring (need to kill the grass where the bed will be, prune the overgrown viburnum that will be the bed's back border, add edging, etc). I just don't have the time this year to do all of this on my own. I have to split up the work between now and Spring.

I have over wintered potted boxwoods and they do great. Also I store my tulip pots in here. My unheated garage gets great morning sun (we have 5 windows).

Ken, there I go again. If I can grow prissy tulips in a garage, why not hosta?

I'll stop being so uptight and just enjoy gardening.

One way to kill grass is to smother it - no air, no light. Since I do all my work by myself I have to devise ways not to expend all my energy all the time. I place bags of soil where a future bed is planned and leave them there overwinter... by spring the grass beneath the bags is no more, having rotted...or, if I have time, lay down wet newsprint, then dump bagged soil on top, wet the whole mess and leave for a season.

Any variation/substitution would work for this method...a "lasagna" type of garden bed prep. :-).

Josephine, I really like your bag idea! Thank you, doing this in the Fall!

you have absolutely no spots to shove a plant in the ground???

i am not telling you they have to go in the new bed.. just anywhere ...

all i can do.. is give you variables.. you just decide what you want to do ...

my attached unheated garage.. can get to 70 degrees in mid winter .. with the door closed... if a plant.. goes in and out of dormancy.... you got problems ...

but also.. if they leaf out.. a month or two.. before last frowst or freeze ... you can even have a bigger problem ...

make your choice.. do what you wish ...

ken

ps: i used ice cubes in winter.. to add some moisture.. without making soil sodden ....

Hl,

I'm no professional, but I did something similar in the past. I lined the pots up on the northeast side of my house, protected from winter winds. Once we had a good freeze, I buried all the pots with mulch. I didn't lose a single hosta this way. I'm in east central indiana, zone 5. I'm with those who say don't love them too much.

Ken, not enough for 15 pots. The house came with an all lawn backyard except for the hedge I mentioned. Front is all lawn except 2 small beds that already have plants.

I appreciate the suggestions. I'll try the ice cube in water.

Don't repot in fall. Hostas don't grow any roots in winter, and the excess soil may hold too much moisture in the winter leading to rot. Stack them dry in an unheated shed or garage and don't water until spring. If they are root bound they will be fine.