Wow... So that's what I can look forward to. Mine is so tiny. It'll be tiny for awhile. I saw one over the weekend at a local hotel and they said theirs is like 10 yrs old or something like that. I can't tell for sure but it looks to be about the same size.

I divide all through the growing season. The plant is small enough, I'd dig around and lift the whole clump... spread the roots out in a circle...Then I'd use a large knife to cut it into as many pieces as I wanted... pieslices, crown with roots.. in this case I'd probably just go with two halves....

My own preference is to divide hostas in spring.... when they're just little pips sticking up. The leaves aren't in the way and you can see what you're doing. And after a sppring division, the plant will unfurl somewhat symmetrically.

That said, you do not NEED to divide it... botanically, there's no reason to do it.

This pic taken early in the season...not a fast grower. When I bought it in 2008 it only had one tip with four leaves. I am hoping that with at least 6 flower scrapes, I should be able to make at minimum, two divisions, maybe three? A study of root system will tell whether I can safely divide without damaging a single leaf!!

Awaiting advice before I attempt anything.

Why do you want to divide it? I hear there is no need to do so... Do you need the space or something?

BME makes a pretty neat mound as it grows... bigger and bigger but keeping relatively small round leaves. Some people like that look... others think it is cuter when only a few eyes.

I'm assuming you are dividing because you want more, or you like the smallish look. I've had to do surgery on some of the BME sports - they keep sending out solid colored sports that quickly overwhelm the less vigorous variegated plant. I do think the best bet is to not only dig up the mound but to wash off the dirt so you can see the structure... then a very sharp knife.

After division, you want to replant in well-drained soil... ground or pot... the plant has lost some roots, so you want to give it enough water... but the plant has wounds, so you don't want it to sit in water and rot.

Thisismelissa...thank you...you have a valid point, two actually: no need to divide, growing well, and spring being the better time to perform division task...I agree. My 'need' for more Blue Mouse Ears wants to over rule the logic...you know how it is....I also sense you are a proponent of allowing a hosta to grow and are probably far more patient than I. I enjoy reading your viewpoint on many threads and am happy you responded to my question.

Idiothe...I appreciate the detailed instruction. I'm glad I didn't (YET) get a "don't do it". Dividing into two would produce nice mounds. Dividing into three would be awesome, but I had better see what I'm faced with. I might be better off with two hefty pieces than more spindly ones. 'Less is more'.

I have ruthlessly divided huge and smaller hosta without a blink of an eye, usually during the summer with lots of leaves in the way, taking care to sustain the very minimum of damage....but my minis, that's another thing altogether! If you hurt them, they are not as forgiving. A little apprehensive, but up to the challenge.

Thanks for taking the time and interest.

Uh oh! Am I losing my nerve?
Brandysgarden..yes, I just want more, they are so cute.

Glad you added more thoughts Idiothe. Your assumption is right on...I just want more of the same. Isn't that why we love hosta so much? Because they allow us to divide them!!!!! Lol no greater satisfaction than growing a hosta you love, then making more without spending money.

Seriously, I don't want to rush into a decision I may regret. My Holy Mouse Ears now has three crowns (one per year so far). My plan was to divide when it is the same size as BME. I think I will ponder some more.

Idiothe...what you say makes sense about the after-effects...roots, wounds, rot...question: would a division suffer if it was placed in a glass of water instead of potted or 'grounded' right away? This possibility occurred to me just now...I bought a bagged BME in March this year to gift my daughter with. I removed it from the bag and it lived in a jam jar for two months. I changed the water twice a week and it continued to grow well, producing more roots, and it also produced an additional crown! (Well, the beginnings of one)

Granted it did not have wounds, but did well until it went home to its intended growing site. Do you think the divisions would benefit from sitting in water or not? Of course I'd ensure crowns are not sitting on water.

Of course you can divide it anytime. BME is easier than most because it is so compact and you don't have to worry about floppy leaves. I have had to divide mine before and am about to do it again because it is so tight in the 11" pot it is in. I got mine way back in 2002 from Plant Delights. Paid a whopping $25 bucks, but it was new and difficult to find, and had those thick adorable leaves. It came with two eyes and a flower stalk. It stayed in a smallish bowl for several years, then to a larger bowl, and finally I had to divide it in 2010 because it ran out of room and I could no longer see any soil in the pot. Then I noticed that this year is is again packed in there like sardines.

-Babka
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Happy to have your input, Babka.
I've never seen such a large BME! It's beautiful, cute and healthy looking to boot. When i followed the dates of your pics, It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?
So far, responses have been positive, informative, encouraging and above all, educational. I love having pictures accompany the testimonials as well, like yours.
Thanks for taking the time.

I just got done uploading my BME pics... came to find this thread... now I'm not sure I should post. Babka's pot is so magnificent!

Oh, well... this one is pretty good, too...

I have five of the sports planted around it... and it is eating them! BTW - the one to the left front was Mouse Tracks. You can see that it "settled out" into a light centered one. What you can't see is that the other half of Mouse Tracks settled into a light margin - two eyes from the same crown with reverse variegation.

This is why I quit "chasing" the Mouseketeers... they are so unstable that, for the most part, I just see them as blue, blue with white edge, blue with white center, and streaky which will settle out into one of the above. I know people love them... they are fun, with fun names... but I guess I just can't appreciate the subtle differences...

Oh now, that's not fair!!!! Lol Picture this if you will.....idiothe, bapka, and I are on the TV show What's My Line with our BME and the commentator/host says "Will the REAL Blue Mouse Ears Please Stand Up?" ...I'd be running out the back door!

My oh my, and I thought it couldn't get any better...HUGE, gorgeous specimen...wow..Well Idiothe, stable or unstable, I'd pay for your sports any day! They are lovely.

I'm kind of sitting here, now meek and mild and sort of in awe. I had no idea miniatures could get that size, really, no idea.

Well, thanks a lot, you two! Lol lol Now what do I do???????

one clear conclusion, josephine... there are a few mini hostas, but having small leaves doesn't make a plant a mini... or even a small. I don't know how big BME can get... this one is growing in a confined raised bed. As it is a kind-of colonizer, I can imagine it going to 3 feet in diameter eventually...

The AHS designates hosta sizes based on the leaf size. Though this works very well for the leaf shows, it makes very little sense for the everyday gardener. I plant by diameter first, height second.

I love hearing people buying Teaspoon for their troughs and such because it is small... I have to keep choping mine up to keep in in a 30" diameter space.

Point taken, Idiothe. Did more research after your last comments...info in your learned head for how many years now??

I found out that...

Class 4 (Small) 6-25"
Blue Mouse Ears is a small as you pointed out, as is my Holy Mouse Ears.....although yours and Bapka's (BME) easily surpass quoted dimensions of only 11" ...Grenfell & Shadrack Pocket Guide ...which is why I was so surprised by the size of both yours.

Class 5 (Miniature) 2-6"
Cameo, Cherish, Cracker Crumbs, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Limey Lisa, Kifukurin Otome Ki are my true minis. (According to the AHS Cracker Crumbs is not listed under either Small or Mini, but I bought it as a mini from the 800+ owner so to me it shall remain a mini.)

Idiothe, you are one of the experts here so I rely more on your information and others within the realm of your experience, than a book alone for getting up to speed on my hosta. Clearly one has to keep in mind that dimensions quoted seem, more often than not, a guideline and not a rigid set of numbers....as MOST hosta exceed their quoted size given optimum growing conditions...is that a fair statement to make?

My mistake was referring to BME as a Mini, as clearly it is not. Had I not posted this thread, who knows how long I would have been in the dark about this particular one....and I hate offering incorrect information to others who happen to ask me about my "cuties".

SOOOOOOO.....After weighing the information provided, it may interest everyone responding/adding to this thread that I have decided:

1. NOT to split my Blue Mouse Ears.....clearly it is still 'small', I counted 9 flower scrapes few hours ago....my three year old granddaughter almost nipped one of the buds because it was "gramma, look I want this pretty baby one".
2. POT up the BME maybe after the flowers are all done.....I just HAVE to try it to see if it grows better for me...or do it today even! Who knows? It just might take off for me and grow to a more decent size to consider splitting. THEN I will refer to my "idiothe manual" supplied in this thread and make my divisions. :)

3. HONE up on my education regarding smalls and minis.

THANK YOU, one and all for taking the time away from your own gardens to assist me with this. Jo

P.S. If you don't mind, I would like my BME to take a last curtain call when the flowers open/partially open....it is sooooo cute and I just have to show it to you. In a few sunny days, it'll be ready.

I've been watching this thread with a lot of interest, because I'm in the same predicament that Babka's in. My BME is not in a pot but growing in the ground between two tree roots. I guess I will have to divide it eventually because it's running out of space.

I've divided my Cameo and Cherish many times although I didn't need to ... go figure? I now have 5 small Cameos and 10 small Cherish and one large BME. Sometimes it's the character of the hosta that is the determining factor on whether you divide or don't divide.

I was really surprised not to find Teaspoon listed in Don Rawson's miniature lists because I was under the impression that it was leaf size that determines whether a hosta is a miniature or not. I've seen some pretty big Teaspoons though.

I'm looking forward to seeing your BME in full bloom.

Aw, irawon, that's good of you! Your reference to the character of the plant that may determine whether to divide or not.....my cracker crumbs grows so tightly bunched together that I'm giving it the eye now that I've decided not to split BME, lol lol lol....it's a character alright, sort of an unruly one, but not the character you mean lol

It's nice to hear about your minis...care to post some pics? I would love to see them. Thanks! Jo

If you weren't in Ontario I would send you some of mine when I split it. Isn't Canada just as strict as CA regarding sending plant material?

-Babka

Jo, I got heavily into minis in 2011. I have about 45 on Don Rawson's miniature lists. They seem to be holding their own right in the ground even with tree root competition. I posted some of them in another thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: some of my minis

I just divided a Cracker Crumbs yesterday - it came out of the ground in one very tight clump... I ended up selling a lot bigger chunk than I intended! I just was afraid if I cut it up more it might all fall apart.

Just to be clear about those measurements... those are not measures in inches... those are square inches.

Class IV(Small) 6-25 square inches
Class V (Miniature) 2-6 square inches

So... any hosta with a mature leaf that is less than 6 square inches is a Miniature by AHS standards - no matter what the plant size is.

So BME is registered as having leaves that are 3"x2"... so a rounded leaf with those dimensions would make the surface less than 6 square inches... so it is classified a Miniature.

And Teaspoon - in spite of the fact that the clump can easily spread to twice the registered diameter of 21", is a IV Small Leafed because its leaves approach 3"x3"...

Hi...I lost a post I thought I completed...

Idiothe, right, right, riiiiiight! I recall seeing the squared 2 in my research and forgot about it...colour me DUH...and your patient explanations have finally sunk in. Thanks so much for your interest and time...I truly appreciate it.

Raining, a lovely, gentle rain..happy but I want to be outside working!!! Have no raincoat and holding an umbrella only leaves one hand free....oh well, time to read forum :). Jo