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Cephalotus plantlets

Hi!!

I hadn't paid much attention to my Ceph lately (since it seemed to be doing quite happily on its own), but yesterday, when I examined the plant carefully, I realized that it had grown two plantlets near its base. Now I don't know if you call these plantlets - they're basically new crowns coming out of the soil, independent of the main plant.

Does anybody know what's actually going on below the surface? Do the babies share the same root system with the parent? I heard Cephs need good air circulation, so I thought it might be a good idea to separate the plantlets and give them pots of their own, but will doing so possibly harm them?

I'm totally new to these plants, and I'd appreciate any advice. thanks!! Leo
 
Cephs will sprout side shoots from the main stem and also from underground runners which can go quite a distance from the central crown. In either event they are slow to form their own root systems. They can be removed and grown seperately. If they are rootless they will root eventually. However there is always the risk of disease on the cutting and the original plant. And the potential to set back the main plant from root damage during the process. On the other hand I do believe that they periodically need to be divided when the clumps get too tightly compacted with growth and the risk of disease within the clump increases.

Since these are brand new side shoots I would leave them be for a year or two.
Tony
 
Thanks, guess I won't have to worry about it for a LONG time.

I suppose the plant needs to be uprooted completely in order do any divisions? I'll probably post the question again in a year or two when I actually need to do it.

Leo
 
Leo,
I would probably won't divide the Cephalotus because the look better when they are in clumps and plus there roots are really sensitive and when u disturb one, the plant won't be growing for a long time.
sad.gif
 
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