Day 1 - June 18, 2008

Today, I did my first hosta propagation experiment. Really quite simple, but nonetheless the first of many steps towards Hosta mastery.



And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth". _{Genesis 9:1, 7}


And I did just that.

Earlier this week, I had bought a 1-gallon Ginko Craig hosta at Rosedale - one that I picked out because it seemed to have a lot of divisions. It is a smallish hosta, one best suited for borders or at the very front edge of a hosta bed. Pictures 1 and 2 show the undivided hosta.

I prepared some hosta medium: 1/2 compost, 1/2 spaghnum, with some lime and sand thrown in. Then I carefully knocked as much dirt off the root ball as I could - and from that point, I sprayed the clump until all the dirt was removed. (Picture 3)

Then , with a razor-sharp knife, I divided/gently twisted individual eyes off the clump, working from the outside towards the center.

Result: 16 individual hosta divisions. (Picture 4) Little Baby Ginko Craigs.

Here they are, (Picture 5) nicely tucked away in their individual containers. Now, they should be safekept in dappled sunlight, and watered/fertilized like the babies they are. We will bring you pictures of them in the future, say, on their 1 year birthday.