My opinion is two or three. Depending on the size of the pips. I always choose the pot with more than one pip. 6" isn't very big for hosta so I wouldn't put in any more than three. You'll get more opinions than mine.

Beverly

2 to 3 max .... would be the norm ...

pot some with more.. BUT CHARGE MORE ..

some peeps want a new plant..

some want instant gratification .. eh??

dividing.. should have been done last fall.. and potting this spring.. while still in pip stage.. for best presentation ...

if your are already leafed out .. wilted plants might not sell well ... but live and learn.. and dont forget the tape trick if so ....

go for it ... it will be an adventure ....

ken

and to increase profit ... get smaller pots.. use less media.. etc ...

I'd agree that I look at the number of eyes in a hosta (when I get to see any for sale, that is). Probably where you are, the folks won't be looking for hosta to pot up and keep in a pot, so it makes sense to use as small a pot as required. Had not thought about it, but Ken is right.....I've put a big part of my garden budget into the media far beyond the cost of buying the pots.

I'd consider a 3-eye hosta to be a good find. And if you do a bigger pot with a lot of tops on them, charge more. And see which sells out quicker.

Ken, you suggested to divide in the fall and pot up in the spring. How do you store your divisions over the winter? Also, if I have to cut through a clump, should I wait a day to pot it to allow the cut to dry? Does that matter?

I am digging them as the pips appear --- most here have not come up yet but a few are.

Some hostas just look drop dead gorgeous when they unfurl and some need a bit of time to come to color. I would guess that for those hosta that look their best at the time of your sale, you may get away with just two pips rather than the three per pot.

We have a store that sells hosta each year. Last year they had a good variety of hosta. Most of the hosta were small sized, but they did have some more mature hostas that year. I did not think that the large hostas sold as easily. I think that people feel that they can buy small and the hosta will mature in no time at all. But we hostaholics know better and sometimes it pays to get a hosta in a larger size.

Perhaps you have taken pictures of your hostas in the past years? If you have some good pictures, you may want to display them or have them handy as an example to show a potential customer.

These were just some of my thoughts.

I'd look at it as more of a function of the roots. If you've got a hefty root system, it maybe difficult to get 3 eyes worth of roots into a pot.

If it's a 3-eye plant, maybe charge more than the 1 or 2 eye ones.

This is becoming too much of a project for an old lady, I think. Wow, the clumps are very old and the roots go very deep. I gave up on a bed that is under a grove of Black Walnuts. The tree roots made it almost impossible to dig. Also, it is impossible to not step on emerging pips while trying to dig. FRUSTRATION!!!

Ok, another question. Is it OK to trim some of the roots that are extremely long before potting them?