Hi all. Id like to help this plant from looking absolutely decrepit. The original plant (circled in photo) sadly had to be guillotined because it was too large for our apartments HR to appreciate and was hitting the ceiling / smacking people who walked by on the sidewalk. it's seems like it's grown 2 new plants beside the base, which are large now. Is it possible to separate and replant these? I can't tell if they are attached. I'd like them to be more upright and in the middle so they can get sun, and to remove the cut base. I don't know how to go about it and don't want to kill it in the process. Thank you!
Hi Klaus. Yes those can definitely be divided and replanted. There is an underground horizontal rhizome (like a thick fleshy horizontal root) that connects them all together. When you get them all out of the ground, make a clean cut on the rhizome about halfway between each plantlet. Make sure each fan of leaves has a good section of this rhizome intact when you replant it, that is important. You can probably replant the base section and it might resprout for you. I'm not sure what climate you're in, but it would be best to wait until early spring, or maybe late winter to do the dividing. Ideally divide right as or just before the newest spring growth points start growing. For less work but also less perfection, you could possibly just use a sharp spade to cut down between the base and that one leaning way over, and just replant it upright, and leave the others as-is.
