Question
Dear Nick,
We have 28 year old,30 ft areka palms in the back yard of our home in Marco Island, Fl.
We want to transplant them to the very rear of the yard and also separate the clusters evenly all along rear property line. Any idea of what survival rate would be? How deep would we have to dig to save all the roots? Also, what is their life span? They may be too old to bother with.Any suggestions  and info would be greatly appreciated,thank you.
Don and Mary

Answer
Hi Don, thats an old clump you are dealing with and will have a rather extensive root system (Rhizome), that said, it will be possible to dig away some of the newer canes, but you will need a sharp shovel to dig down inside the clump to separate from the main Rhizome. Don't be concerned about killing the Palm,,Arecas are very durable. The key here is to separate the canes from the mother with as much roots attached as possible, and then the transplant process will have a higher degree of success. To dig up the entire Rhizome would require a professional with a back hoe or a team of strong backs and sharp shovels. Best bet is to dissect it and then kill off the remaining Rhizome after cutting back to ground level; not seeing the specimen, I can only suggest from afar, so good luck! Nick