Urgent Forged Cutlery Bread Knife to Divide Hostas???

[ChefPaulaB]

Okay, don't freak out on me, but do you think that it would totally ruin my bread knife if I used it to divide a Hosta plant? I know this isn't the right time of year, but I have to, and I have nothing to divide it with, obviously I didn't think this through enough before I dug the monster up, but here I am with a huge Hosta dug up, roots exposed and nothing to cut into it to divide it, and there is no breaking it by hand, it's huge. I don't have time to go to the store, I have to leave in 3 hours to go to an open house and I have to get 2 kids and myself ready (so much for polishing my nails!)... and I have to replant it after I get it divided... okay, it's not likely that it's going to get done in 3 hours... so any advice on the keeping it damp until tomorrow and what do you think about the bread knife. It says to use a large serrated knife... but I obviously don't want to ruin my $70 bread knife! HELP!!!

 

[doughmama]

I would use an ax before I use a knife. Or a saw & if you don't have one, borrow. Put it back in the hole you took it out of, gently recover it with dirt and dig it back out when you have time. The digging up part is half the battle. good luck.

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

I would not use my forged cutlery! But of course, I love my goodies too much for the risk! lol

Just ask a neighbor for something, or do just as dough mama said....replace in original area, cover with dirt and dampen the soil.....should be fine for tomorrow.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

Thanks Ladies, I talked myself down, I wouldn't risk it either... Problem is, I couldn't put it back in the hole, it really is a monster, I had my DS dig it out for me, but then he left, so was on my own. So, I rolled it onto an old blanket and dragged it into the shade and put as much of the dirt on the roots that I could and folded the blanket back up over it then soaked the blanket with the hose and then put an old towel over that and soaked that too... so hopefully that'll keep it until tomorrow. The kicker is, my DH is a farmer and I tried to get something from him to cut it up with and he was apparently too busy to help me GRRRRRR :grumpy:, I'm sure there are plenty of things out in the barn to use if he would've taken 5 minutes to get me something, but I don't go digging around in the barn and he wouldn't even bother to take my call... as you can probably guess, I'm not very happy with him right now! :cry: Gonna be a fun evening at the open house! He probably won't even go, which is just as well... oops, venting! :blushing: Sorry! Thanks for the quick response!

 

[SpiritdancerIA]

Since the clump is that large, you could probably use a shovel to divide it. If you loose a little bit, well, it's a big clump, and hostas can handle a fair bit of abuse

 

[esavvymom]

I was going to suggest a good sharp shovel too. Just carefully use it so you aren't hacking away at it and are doing more of a cut.

 

[shelly.nurse]

Hostas are pretty hardy, doing what you did would probably be just fine.

If you have to use something from the kitchen, don't you have a pre PC knife? I agree with the shovel idea.

 

[quiverfull7]

I live in North Carolina and a month ago, I dug up two hostas, had them sitting up on the grass for 2 days before my friend came and got them and she divided them and planted them and they are doing super. They can handle LOADS of abuse and keep right on going so you've treated it wonderfully and you'll be fine. A sharp spade sounds like the best tool other than a garden saw to cut it up.

 

[Chef Gilles]

All I have to say is there are tools for the kitchen and tools for the garden...don't mixed them up if they are of high quality!!!

 

[itsjustCarla]

I bought a cheap set of "miracle blade" knives during my PRE-PC days and I have a large knife in that set (not a bread knife) that I use to divide my hostas. It give me much more control over where the plants were divided.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

Hostas are pretty hardy, doing what you did would probably be just fine.

If you have to use something from the kitchen, don't you have a pre PC knife? I agree with the shovel idea.

I gave all of my old knives away! What was I thinking!!!? I have almost all of the forged cutlery and some of the green knives (not fond of the self honing, but do have the small one) and I just didn't have room for everything, so got rid of the other ones... thanks to all of you for your tips!!! I think that my DH is on board now, so he'll probably help me divide them today, it is just so big and gangly (all the leaves, you can't see what you're doing) and I just don't know where to start! But we'll figure it out today, I guess. And I won't be touching my kitchen stuff!!! I promise! I just had a moment!

 

[doughmama]

and yes, hostas are so hardy. when I was a kid, we had so many that my dad would just mow over some of them. But every year they just kept coming back.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

and yes, hostas are so hardy. when I was a kid, we had so many that my dad would just mow over some of them. But every year they just kept coming back.

Good to know! I was hoping that dividing them at the "wrong" time of year wouldn't hurt them...