Question
My Peace Lily plant is about 5-6 years old. It has been repotted twice by my Mom.  It is too big for her to handle now.  I started to repot it (about 10-11 inched across the top of the pot with some 25 or thirty plants, it seems ), but little nodules came off from the bottom of the roots.  Can I simply quarter the mass and get four new bundles of plants?  Or is each above ground leave structure a different plant?  How do I repot this huge mass?
Thank you LW

Answer
Hi Liz,

Yes, you can quarter the plant by slicing through the rootball from top to bottom with a long, sharp knife. Don't worry about severing some of the roots. Be sure that you put each section in 4" pots, no larger. Expect some wilting and leaf loss as a result of the cutting trauma.

As an alternative, you can root prune by slicing off about a half inch from the sides and bottom of the rootball. The slimmed down plant can then be put back into the same pot and filled in with fresh potting mix. Discard the trimmed off portions.

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]

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