Question
hi I recently rescued a plumosus from a commercial planter the root ball is about the width of a 50 galloon drum and three feet tall.  even after chopping it into quarters the root mass is bigger than any pot I have...  Can i chop the bottom of the roots off like i would a pot bound annual?  Also what conditions does it prefer indoors and out?  Can I propagate from root cuttings?  Thanx so much!  You Rock!

Answer
Good to hear from you Ben!

That's great that you are on a plant rescue mission. What will you do with your 4 new plants - keep them or give them away?

Yes, you can slice off all around the rootballs, including the bottoms to get them to fit into your pots. That's what we call root pruning. You may lose some of the fronds as a result of all the root cutting, but any damage will be minor and temporary.

Indoors, keep it in a moderately sunny window, but out of the mid-day heat. Water it thoroughly whenever the soil surface feels dry. Fronds will yellow if allowed to get too dry, but new growth will come in readily once proper watering is resumed. Fertilize it with a high nitrogen fertilizer at half strength monthly.

My expertise is limited to indoor plants, so I will beg off  on answering your question about the preferred outdoor conditions.

You might be able to propagate it from a root cutting if you had at least one stem still intact, but general the answer is no.

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

Please keep me posted on your future plant rescue endeavors. You Roll!

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If this information has been helpful, please remember to give me a rating and nomination.