Divide Livistona?

[Manalto]

This Livistona chinensis (or, more to the point, this cluster of three Livistona chinensis) was knocked back in the 13°F temperature last winter.

I'd prefer to have a single trunk - can they be separated with a sharp shovel? Is this even feasible? 

 

[Fusca]

10 hours ago, Manalto said:

This Livistona chinensis (or, more to the point, this cluster of three Livistona chinensis) was knocked back in the 13°F temperature last winter.

I'd prefer to have a single trunk - can they be separated with a sharp shovel? Is this even feasible? 

You can try but you're risking damage to the roots of the one you want to keep.  How long have they been in the ground?  Separating a triple in a container is possible but in the ground is tougher if you're trying to save all three.  Easiest thing to do is to just cut off the two smallest ones at ground level and leave the biggest one so it won't be set back any.

[Chester B]

5 hours ago, Fusca said:

You can try but you're risking damage to the roots of the one you want to keep.  How long have they been in the ground?  Separating a triple in a container is possible but in the ground is tougher if you're trying to save all three.  Easiest thing to do is to just cut off the two smallest ones at ground level and leave the biggest one so it won't be set back any.

I agree. I don’t think you’ll be able to separate them. I did this with a pot of 8 or 9 smaller ones and I lost half.  Big plants in the ground, personally I would leave them be or sacrifice the two you don’t want. 

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Chinese fan palms are available even at big box stores, for cheap, so not worth doing surgery and damaging (or killing) the one you want to keep.  Just cut off, above ground, the ones you do not want and the remaining one will grow a lot faster.

[Manalto]

7 hours ago, Fusca said:

You can try but you're risking damage to the roots of the one you want to keep.  How long have they been in the ground?  Separating a triple in a container is possible but in the ground is tougher if you're trying to save all three.  Easiest thing to do is to just cut off the two smallest ones at ground level and leave the biggest one so it won't be set back any.

Thanks for confirming my suspicion. I figured it was a long shot.

They've been in the ground 2 years and have put on some growth, so they're well established.

I'll probably just leave them as a triple because the three crowns will make an impressive mass once they recover. Its role is filling a large kitchen window with foliage to provide shade and screen an ugly view, so if growth is retarded, that's okay. The option to change my mind later remains.

Thanks all for your replies.