Question about keeping streakers streaked

[playinmud]

If green eyes appeared on a streaked plant I was told to simply snap them off, so I did, and it worked pretty well. However, this year one of the streakers (H. 'Xanadu Virginia Mary') seems to have a large amount of green eyes. So, do I dig it up, take a knife to it and really clean it up, or continue snapping. Seems the more I snap this one the greener it gets.

What do you recommend?

Thanks,

[jgh]

I'd go with digging and cutting... clean your knife with alcohol first... treat the cuts with a fungicide or rooting hormone or both, if you've got them around... maybe even pot the part(s) you want to keep and give them some TLC... I've never seen or heard of this one, so it must be a keeper and worth some special attention...

[HostaDesigner]

I've never heard of snapping them off. It seems to me, since the green eyes are the most vigorous, and chances are, the latent buds surrounding a green eye will also be green eyes. So, when you snap off a green eye, essentially you ARE making the green eyes multiply. The latent buds will just sprout more green eyes. I would absolutely dig up the plant and perform hosta surgery. To to O.R., doctor! STAT!

[Seedseller1]

I agree with those above to do the surgery. I haven't heard of just snapping the green eye off, but rather "twisting" the green eye off in an attempt to remove it from the crown (and the dormant buds associated with it). This method works better on some hostas than it does on others depending on how attached the new eyes are to the crown. If you have divided enough hostas you come to realize that some divisions require a knife and some simply pull apart. The thought on the "twisting" method is to remove the eye without disturbing/digging the whole plant, but it does not work on all varieties. I often try this method first, and if the eye comes loose complete with a few roots I leave well enough alone and wait and see if new "off" eyes develop. If they snap off above the crown, surgery is probably needed.

[playinmud]

Well thank you all very much! I'll get the alcohol, a sharp knife and give it the old college try. It will make me feel a whole lot better, I don't want to see this turn all green.

Thanks again,