Broken Nolina recurvata trunk

[AggiePalms]

Last spring, I cracked the trunk on my Nolina, moving it out of the house for the summer. It is (was) 8 ft tall. I tried to stake it so that nutrients would flow from the base, but today the cracked portion, four feet, it fell off, slightly rotten at the base of the broken stem. The stem is still very green and seemingly putting out new leaves, which is a good sign. The base is fine.

I have heard that the broken stems can be salvaged, and I would certainly like to do so. Can I just put the bottom few inches into sandy soil, or what do I need to do? Thanks.

[AggiePalms]

OK, so none of us have any great suggestions. So, I'm going to try this: Trim off the bottom few inches of the broken stem. Plant the stem 6" or so deep in a sandy organic rich soil with good drainage. Remove some of the lower leaves to decrease water stress and stake it. Put on root stimulator and water to keep it moist but of course not wet.

Anything wrong with those ideas? Let me know.

[bayside mike]

I'm not familiar with Nolina recurvata.

But what I would suggest is that, if you cut off a few inches, do it just below a leaf node.

Mike

[John Case]

Mike,

He appears to be referring to a Ponytail Palm, which I think is now Beaucarnea recurvata.

AggiePalms, I am not sure whether the the remainder will take or not. What you must do, though, is cut out any rotted portion. Put it in sand or a good planting mix, give it a drink, but keep it on the dry side in order to prevent rot. Perhaps a dip in rooting hormone might help.

Good Luck.

[AggiePalms]

John:

Yes Beaucarnea it is...I don't know why I was using the old name.

I've followed your advice about planting the trunk, and all the leaves are very green and happy looking. I took off a few at the base to decrease evapotranspiration a bit until it grows roots. It will be interesting to see if it grows.

Thanks!