I wanted to start uprooting/dividing earlier, rather than later, since I’m recovering from surgery, with lifting limits. Starting earlier would have been a way to pace the uprooting but I just overdid dandelion plucking this week with the sunshine invigorating me, so I’ll have to switch tasks & rest. While the soil dries, is it worth placing buckets over the hosta sprouts now to keep sun out, until the earth dries out, if if covering the hostas slows growth? Roses/peonies/Irises would be my priority, if I could make the time. An updated picture shows growth, even with a fence partially shadowing the hostas. Thank you.
Hello again, Spring Gardener! So difficult to see all of the growth and activity in your emerging plants and have to take it easy to ensure your recovery!
I can’t tell whether the soil has dried out yet. Perhaps not, with all of the rain we have had and the downspout emptying into the garden bed. The previous answer to your question suggested redirecting the down spout to prevent your clay soil from ongoing wetness.
It is true that the hostas will become harder and harder to move as they grow. You suggest that you might be able to slow down the growth of your hostas by covering them with buckets. Before attempting this, I advise that you read an article by the Oregon State University Extension Service, Plant growth and development , which provides good information about the requirements of light, water and CO2 in order for photosynthesis to occur. Through this process the plant produces carbohydrates, which turn into the energy needed by the plant for cell growth and the production of new tissue. Simply put, your hostas need light in order to grow (and ultimately even survive). Keeping them in the dark could slow down growth somewhat, but doing this for more than a few days could do more harm than good.
Note that your plants could also become weaker and elongated if kept in the dark. The following explanation of this phenomenon comes from the University of Notre Dame: “The light slows stem elongation through hormones that are sent down the stem from the tip of the stem. In the darkness, the hormones do not slow stem elongation.”
My advice, given your situation, is to dig out the hostas before they get much larger. Maybe you can get some help in moving them? As the previous Master Gardener volunteer noted, laying down a large piece of wood in order to distribute the weight of the gardener will reduce compaction and help to preserve your soil structure.
Finally, I’m not sure what you intend to do with the roses, irises and peonies you mention, but they are certainly all growing in earnest now.