Phoenix Robellinii clump divide

[Born]

I purchased a Phoenix Robellinii not to long ago. As in most cases, there were several clumps in the pot.

I decided to separate them both yesterday. I cleaned my instrument with Isopropyl Alcohol and cut in between the two; severing the root balls equally.

I then planted each one in an appropriate size potter with extremely well draining “soil”. 
 

I then took each Pygmy and gave them a nice warm shower, letting the water drain out the bottom. 
 

Now I wait to see how well the separation technique worked.

Did I do everything right / wrong? Any suggestions or guidance would be greatly appreciated. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Born
Pics

[JLM]

I hope this works for you, i seperated my clump of 4 in February and 3 out of the 4 died.

[Born]

JLM,

How long did it take for them to die?

[JLM]

On 4/29/2021 at 9:21 AM, Born said:

JLM,

How long did it take for them to die?

Sorry for the slow response, i took them less than a month. They of course stopped growing from shock, but they started losing fronds, and less than a month later the spear pulled and it was dead. Some took a little longer than others, so its variable. Personally, i think some sort of rot set in from them just sitting there for so long with no movement.  If your Pygmy Dates are going to die, you will start noticing decline within the next few weeks. Just make sure to keep them watered and give them some sun! If you do end up losing them, they are pretty cheap at the big box store. I am never seperating Pygmy Dates again though without proper tool and materials. It also probably didnt help the first one that died, i had to do a heavy root prune in order for it to fit in the only pot i had left. Either way, goodluck! 
P.S. the last Pygmy Date has been re planted and is now pushing several new fronds, so there is at least one survivor! This one never spear pulled either and never lost all of its fronds, but it did still lose most of it crown. Hoping for a full crown by the end of summer!

[Steve Mac]

I have had good success separating palms by using the 'hose them apart' technique while jiggling, which usually does not require any root cutting, just for the people who have not yet done it.   

But Born, is that your name? and where are you? Yours look good. 

[lzorrito]

2 hours ago, gtsteve said:

'hose them apart' technique while jiggling, which usually does not require any root cutting

It works for me too. But do mind the hose stream according to the conditions of the roots. Slow flux and sharp eyes on those.

[Reyes Vargas]

6 hours ago, gtsteve said:

hose them apart' technique while jiggling, which usually does not require any root cutting,

That's what I have always done with success.  Once you cut roots, that's when the problems start.  @Born I hope they continue to grow for you.  They look really nice right now.

[Born]

I will keep you guys updated if they die or live. 

[Born]

UPDATE:

It has been 20 days since I sliced through the rootballs and separated the two Phoenix Robellinii’s. I don’t know if it is to early to tell if it was a success, but they are green, not drooping, and now have new growth.
 

I have attached pictures of both.

[PsyPalm]

They look great Born!  I've often wondered about separating them, I love the look of them as solitary palms yet they are almost always sold as clusters.  Nice work

[Reyes Vargas]

On 5/18/2021 at 1:14 PM, Born said:

UPDATE:

It has been 20 days since I sliced through the rootballs and separated the two Phoenix Robellinii’s. I don’t know if it is to early to tell if it was a success, but they are green, not drooping, and now have new growth.
 

I have attached pictures of both.

They are looking good.  What kind of potting soil dis you use?  Store bought or did you make your own?

[Born]

@PsyPalm 

Thank you so much PsyPalm! I have noticed since the separation, each plant is thriving on its own. There is no “fighting” for nutrients, sunshine, or water. Thanks for responding.

 

@Reyes Vargas

Thank you so much Reyes! My soil is potting soil and a whole bag of perlite. I reduced the size of the pots to fit the size of the plants. This helped a lot because the root ball decreased in size. I only give partial sun; never putting it outside directly in the sun. I have the whole-room humidifier set at 50%. Thanks for responding.