My Strelitzia has outgrown its pot. I am not strong enough to lift a
larger one, so it will need splitting. Can anyone help as to when and
how? My guess is "during growth" and "with a sharp knife".


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 28 May 2006 09:49:51 GMT, nmm1 [at] cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

>
>My Strelitzia has outgrown its pot. I am not strong enough to lift a
>larger one, so it will need splitting. Can anyone help as to when and
>how? My guess is "during growth" and "with a sharp knife".
>
>
>Regards,
>Nick Maclaren.

I gave one to a friend last year, can't remember exactly when.
Previously it had been outside in a small blue plastic barrel through
a winter, which did it no good at all. They hacked it in two quite
brutally they said, and both halves are alive and doing OK. One half
actually flowered a month ago, although the flower was rather small.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

I don't think a sharp knife will be strong enough Nick. It needs to be
in full growth and then using a saw, cut down through the rhizome and
rootball, making sure each piece has a good portion of roots. In order
to fit them into the new pots, you will probably have to cut about
10-15 cms. off the base of the root ball as well. Don't try to tease
the roots out, you'll do too much damage.

Allow each portion to stand for a couple of days so that the cut
surfaces of the fleshy roots can dry out and then repot into a very
gritty, loam based compost making sure the finished surface slightly
covers the base of the growths. Water well and allow the pots to
nearly dry out. Continue this until you see new leaves developing
after which, normal watering can be resumed. Plants recovering from
division need additional shade to help prevent excessive dessication,
while they re-establish their roots.

In article <1148881105.992931.172910 [at] j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"DavePoole Torquay" <daverpoole [at] hotmail.com> writes:
|>
|> I don't think a sharp knife will be strong enough Nick. It needs to be
|> in full growth and then using a saw, cut down through the rhizome and
|> rootball, making sure each piece has a good portion of roots. In order
|> to fit them into the new pots, you will probably have to cut about
|> 10-15 cms. off the base of the root ball as well. Don't try to tease
|> the roots out, you'll do too much damage.

Oh, I have some adequate knives, all right - not quite Crododile
Dundee scale, but not too far off it :-)

|> Allow each portion to stand for a couple of days so that the cut
|> surfaces of the fleshy roots can dry out and then repot into a very
|> gritty, loam based compost making sure the finished surface slightly
|> covers the base of the growths. Water well and allow the pots to
|> nearly dry out. Continue this until you see new leaves developing
|> after which, normal watering can be resumed. Plants recovering from
|> division need additional shade to help prevent excessive dessication,
|> while they re-establish their roots.

Depending on the weather, I assume!


Thanks very much for the instructions. They are a great help.



Regards,
Nick Maclaren.