Dividing Cyrtostachys renda

[www.dadluvsu.com]

I only have one of these rare beauties...  Two would be better!     I was reading some website about varigated Rhapis sp. and the division of clumps for propagation...  So the million dollar question is, can a Cyrtostachys renda be divided in a similar manner?  Has anyone ever tried it and been succesful?  Obviously, I'm a little bit nervous to be taking a knife to the Lipstick palm that is just beginning to turn red!  

Here's a couple photos of the plant (I just noticed a little brown tipping, guess I need to get that water pan back underneath the black pot!  These things love sun and water it seems!)

:cool:

[metalfan]

Oh man I wouldn't do it. I have 4, all just a tad smaller than yours but all in clumps like that too. I flood them with water every day and they are in Full Sun. I have seen photos of them growing actually IN water in ponds.

I would simply be too afraid to do it. I lost a fairly large (4 ft) specimen just because I planted it too close to the big sliding door in the greenhouse and it got a cold draught in winter. I can't imagine taking a knife to one.

[cfkingfish]

Bill-

These guys, although slow, are somewhat weedy in tropical climates, much like a Phoenix would be for our area. The best time to root a cutting is when you see above soil clumps forming. It is hard to explain but around a 7 gallon size you will see the dense clumps start to sort of "grow" on each other. Getting one of these is worth a try but just get as many roots as possible. I have failed once and was successful once. I would wait a bit before you try it with that plant.

[aussiearoids]

Can be done , but wait until it gets bigger and suckers come out further .

[paulgila]

everyone i have asked in bali says they are sensitive to being divided.doesn't mean it can't be done,

but it could be risky.good luck!

[Jeff Searle]

Bill,

   It is possible. Just like Christian and Michael stated. I have done many over the years on some of mine. First, I always wait until mid summer when we are getting lots of rain and temp. are up. Then if you have some suckers that are coming off the mother plant,approx. 8-18" and look for ones that have extended outwards, and not right next to the mother plant. These are the ones that can be seperated the easiest. I then cut down through the soil to seperate it with a knife but then, more importantly, I like to leave it there to adjust from any shock of seperating it. I like to wait 2-3 weeks, then lightly remove it from the soil and repot it.

Jeff

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Everybody is telling me to take pups...  I just had in mind to dice the thing in half with a real sharp knife!     Thanks guys!

I guess I should wait a few more years until the thing has some good size to it to handle the shock.  Have any of you guys divided a young plant like this one with success?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Oh yeah, since we are talking about this plant, a while back I read on a site I can't find today of a theory that this plants has a symbiosis with a certain fungus or bacteria or something and that the cohabitant is what destroys these palms in the cold weather...  Anyone know about this or take any preventative measures for coldweather?  I drenched mine with a fungicide before last winters cold weather and the palm had no ill effects during the albeit breif but chilly cold snap...

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

Is this the palm in discussion,since we call those here as Lipsticks or sealing wax palm.

some of the finest specimens that i have seen are with Al in kona & Bo Gorans Gardens..

i hope even they share their teqniques with all of us !

here is a still of that beauty that is growing in our garden..

[Ztorch]

What if you rinse away all the soil from the roots to seperate all the suckers and just replant?