Tools for Dividing and Planting Hostas: What You Actually Need
Dividing a hosta takes two jobs: lifting the clump out of the ground and cutting it into pieces that each have leaves, crown and roots. Iowa State says each division should have “at least 2 or 3 points (leaves) and a good portion of the crown and root system” and should be replanted immediately. This guide compares one tool for each part of the job. For the whole method, see how to divide and transplant hostas.
How to choose
- Something that lifts the whole clump. Iowa State: dig up the entire clump as the leaves begin to emerge. Illinois: dig up the parent plant “with a spade or fork”.
- A sharp edge for the crown. Iowa State: divide “with a sharp knife or spade”; Clemson: “use clean, sharp tools”. For hostas the Chicago Botanic Garden suggests a sharp spade, a garden fork, and a bread knife or a serrated trowel.
- A fork if you want to pry rather than cut. Penn State and UNH describe two forks back to back pulled apart — fewer cut roots, but two tools.
- Easy to clean. Hosta virus X spreads “from hosta to hosta by use of garden tools (e.g., pruners, shovels, knives, string edgers)”, according to the University of Wisconsin, which gives disinfecting solutions that need at least one minute of contact. Smooth steel and plastic are easier to clean than wood — our reasoning, not a source’s.
- Weight you can handle. A heavy spade or fork is easier to push into root-bound soil but harder to use for a whole afternoon; weights are in the table.
Comparison
| Product | Job in hosta division | Blade / head | Material | Overall length | Weight | Warranty (maker) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.M. Leonard Classic Soil Knife (hori-hori), model 4750 | Cut the crown into divisions | 6 in, 1-3/4 in wide, straight + serrated edge | Stainless steel; composite handle | 11-3/4 in | 4/5 lb | Lifetime (A.M. Leonard program) |
| Radius Garden Root Slayer shovel, model 22011 | Cut around and lift the clump; split in the ground | 13 in long × 10.5 in wide, serrated V tip | Tempered mid-carbon steel; poly-encased steel shaft | 44.5 in | 5 lb 8 oz | Lifetime guarantee |
| Bully Tools All Steel Spading Fork, SKU 92463 | Lift the clump; pry divisions apart | 4 solid steel tines, head 10 × 7.5 in | All steel, powder coated | 44 in (maker also lists 40 in) | 8 lb | Limited lifetime |
| Corona RazorTOOTH folding saw, RS 7041 (optional) | Cut through a woody crown | 7 in, up to 6 teeth per inch | SK5 high-carbon steel, chrome plated | Not published | Not published | Lifetime (maker) |
Products
A.M. Leonard Classic Soil Knife (hori-hori), model 4750
A 6-inch stainless steel digging knife with one straight and one serrated edge. The maker lists dividing crowns and cutting roots among its uses.
Suits: Cutting a lifted crown into sections — Iowa State advises a sharp knife or spade — and taking a side piece off a small or medium clump.
Limits
- It cannot lift a mature clump; for that you need a spade or fork (Illinois, Iowa State).
What we could not confirm
- Steel grade, hardness and country of manufacture are not published.
- Amazon lists the weight as 3.2 oz; the maker gives 4/5 lb. We use the maker's figure.
Sources: A.M. Leonard 4750 product page
Amazon listing checked 2026-10-05: “A.M. Leonard Classic Soil Knife – Hori Hori w/ 6-Inch Stainless Steel Blade” (ASIN B001FA6BK2)
Check on Amazon Affiliate link
Radius Garden Root Slayer shovel, model 22011
A spade with a serrated, inverted-V tip made for cutting through roots, on an O-handle.
Suits: Cutting around a large, old clump and lifting it, slicing a crown in the ground, and root-filled or clay soil.
Limits
- At 5 lb 8 oz it is heavy for a spade.
- The blade is carbon steel, not stainless, so it needs drying after use.
- The Amazon listing says it is not intended for prying or excessive leverage — the maker's page does not say this, but it means you should lift rather than lever a big clump.
What we could not confirm
- The maker's strength claim ("150% stronger", certified by Intertek) is marketing we could not check.
- Whether the newer Root Slayer 2.0 line replaces 22011; both are on the maker's site.
Sources: Radius Garden Root Slayer page
Amazon listing checked 2026-10-05: “Root Slayer 22011 Garden Shovel, Serrated Blade, Red” (ASIN B01M1CCIWH)
Check on Amazon Affiliate link
Bully Tools All Steel Spading Fork, SKU 92463
A four-tine all-steel digging fork with a T-handle, made in the USA.
Suits: Lifting a clump with less root cutting than a spade, and the two-fork method Penn State and UNH describe: push two forks back to back into the centre of the root ball and pull the handles apart.
Limits
- The two-fork method needs two forks.
- 8 lb is heavy for a fork.
What we could not confirm
- Length: the maker's features text says 44 in, its specification table 40 in.
- Whether the tines are forged or welded, and their thickness.
Sources: Bully Tools 92463 product page ; Penn State Extension: A guide to dividing perennials
Amazon listing checked 2026-10-05: “BULLY TOOLS All Steel Spading Fork – Heavy Duty Garden Fork with T-Style Handle, 100% Made in the USA - 44-Inch” (ASIN B07XM8QPTG)
Check on Amazon Affiliate link
Corona RazorTOOTH folding saw, RS 7041 (optional)
A folding pruning saw with a 7-inch blade, sold for branches up to 3 in thick.
Suits: Very old, woody hosta crowns where a knife stalls. The Chicago Botanic Garden lists a small handsaw for tough rhizomes.
Limits
- Corona sells it for cutting wood, not roots in soil. We expect soil to dull the teeth faster, but have not tested it.
- High-carbon steel: rinse and dry after use.
What we could not confirm
- Weight is not published by the maker.
- None of the extension pages we read names a saw for dividing hostas specifically.
Sources: Corona RS 7041 product page ; Chicago Botanic Garden: Divide and multiply
Amazon listing checked 2026-10-05: “Corona RS 7041 Razor Tooth Folding Saw, 7-Inch Blade , Red” (ASIN B00004R9YN)
Check on Amazon Affiliate link
When you do not need to buy anything
- Small clumps. Penn State: pull the smallest apart by hand or cut them with shears or a sharp knife. The Chicago Botanic Garden lists a bread knife, and calls hostas “among the easiest perennials to divide”.
- Hostas rarely need dividing. The Chicago Botanic Garden says hostas “may require division only every ten years or more”. Penn State’s signs that a plant needs it: it crowds its neighbours, or the centre begins to die out.
- A spade you already own does the lifting. A dedicated tool helps mainly with big, old clumps.
- Do not divide a plant with Hosta virus X symptoms. Wisconsin says an infected plant stays infected for life, should be destroyed and not composted — dividing it only spreads the virus. See hosta diseases.
Timing
Iowa State: spring is best, as the leaves emerge, but plants can be divided from spring through late summer; mulch late-summer divisions in fall. Missouri Botanical Garden says division is usually easiest in early spring before the leaves unfurl. Water the plant a day or two before (Penn State) and well afterwards (NC State).
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension, All about hostas and When is the best time to divide hostas?
- University of Illinois Extension, When should I divide my perennials?
- Penn State Extension, A guide to dividing perennials; UNH Extension, When should I divide my perennials?
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Divide and multiply and Spring perennial dividing
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Hosta virus X; Clemson HGIC, Hosta; NC State Extension, Dividing perennials
- Manufacturer pages as linked in each card. Checked 2026-10-05.