Link to a good post: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2000608/moving-a-large-fully-leafed-out-hosta-lots-o-pix?n=113

i does not NEED to be split.. just for the sake of such ... whats your goal???

ken

This particular one doesn't necessarily need to be split. I agree. But I do have some that are next to each other and overlap each other... very crowded. So I my goal was give them some "breathing room".

You CAN dig, divide, replant ANY time but how picky are you about looks? The hosta will survive the procedure but will look thin, limp, not fabulous for possibly the rest of the season. At this point I would wait until closer to the end of your season. Say late September... the heat shock will be less, the ratty look will be shorter lived, your plants will have time to settle in before winter. I prefer to move hosta after they are leafed out--so I can see what I have, what they will look like in their new home. Not best practice--but they are hosta and they can stand it and I don't need my gardens to look perfect as they recover.

Look under the leaves at the petioles. You'll probably see an obvious dividing line, where some of the petioles are well grouped together and some are extraneous to that grouping. That's the line you want to divide it on. I agree with arcy_gw, later in the early fall will be easier on you and on the hosta. What zone and part of the continent are you in?

In the meantime, you can always trim off some leaves to give the appearance of a little more space between them.

I missed the part about Chicago. What does it look like under the leaves? Maybe some one planted three small hostas together years ago and now they're big.

what do you mean you cant see in there.. go give it a good massage.. and find out ... ken