In the spring, when things are just beginning to warm up and the soil is still cool and moist, hosta lovers go out to count eyes. Gently uncover your hosta beds to reveal the green nubs poking through the soil. Each nub is called an eye, and it is the beginning of a complete set of hosta leaves.

There are two reasons to count hosta eyes. The first and most important is simply so you can take joy in how much your hostas have grown, and so that you can anticipate how beautiful they will be in a couple of months. The more eyes a hosta has, the larger
diameter the clump will be.

The second reason to count hosta eyes is to decide if it is time to divide some of them. When you go out to count hosta eyes, it's also a good time to do a little hosta maintenance.

If you are considering moving your hosta, this is the best time to do it. When choosing a new location, remember that hostas are shade and water-loving plants. Before you move the plant, dig a hole in the new location and mix in some good compost. Make sure the soil is moist. Then, dig up the entire hosta bunch and replant it. Make sure that the roots don't dry out in the process, and be careful not to bury the crown, and you're good to go.

This is also a good time to split hostas. You don't have to split them and they don't get overcrowded like some plants. Hostas just get bigger and bigger. But splitting is a good way to expand your hosta bed, or to share with friends. It really depends on the variety and personal preference when deciding when to split hostas. I recommened waiting at least 4 or 5 years so you can experience some of the beauty each unique plant.

Before you split a hosta, prepare the new plant location as above. Then dig up the plant. With a very sharp knife that has been dipped in an anti-fungal powder or bleach mixture, cut the crown into smaller pieces. Each eye will produce a plant, but the new plant will take longer to get established with fewer eyes. Two to six eyes is better, and larger pieces are fine. Dust the cut pieces with antifungal or rinse in a bleach solution, and replant. Make sure the roots don't dry out in the process.

When you move or split hostas, it can take them a year or so to completely reestablish themselves.

Other early spring hosta maintenance includes cleaning the bed and fertilizing. Remove old leaves, mulch and debris. Add a mild dressing of compost or fertilizer to the soil, and you're done.

In fact, you're pretty well done for several months. Hostas are very easy to care for. They only thing they really want is a cool, shady area with lots of water.

If, however, you live in a cold-weather region, you might recover your hosta eyes with fresh mulch to protect them from late frost. Mulching helps retain water in the warmer months, anyway.

That first nice day in spring, when things are still mucky in the garden, go out and count hosta eyes and do a little basic maintenance. In just a couple of months your hostas will be completely open and you'll be enjoying their beauty.