Question
I have a corn plant that I have had since early spring.  It is about three feet high and very healthy.  It has lots( about 5) stems that are full of growth.  Can I separate the  plant and make more to share?  What steps do I need to take?

Answer
Tonia,

This is not the best time of year to divide plants. The days are getting shorter and houseplant's roots have stopped growing for the winter. If you divide them now you will do some damage to the roots in the process and the damaged roots will most likely rot and die since they are not growing.

That project is best done between April 1st and July 30th when your plants roots will be actively growing. To do it you remove the plant from the pot and see if you can gently pull the plants apart. It the roots are way too tangled to separate you will need a large knife and you will need to literally cut straight down half way between the plants you are separating to divide them. If there are 5 plants I recommend that you divide them into 2 pots. Put 3 in one pot and 2 in the other. Single plants do not look as good as 2 or 3 in a pot and to divide them into single plants will probably damage the roots so much that some of the plants will not survive.

Put each plant in a pot the same size as the original pot. Do not move them to a larger pot or the plants will stay too wet and rot. To make sure the soil for your corn plant drains well mix 2 parts of potting soil with one part of perlite. That will provide better draining soil and your plants will live longer.

During the winter months you corn plant will not be growing as much as it did in the summer and therefore it will not need as much water. You must make sure it is dry before you water it again or the roots will rot and the plant will die. It may take as long as 2 weeks for the plant to dry out after it is watered. After you water it you should always empty the drain tray an hour later or the roots will rot. Your corn plant is not a swamp plant and cannot stand to sit in water. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.

Darlene