Macrophylla help please!!!

[Venus]

I have a tiny macrophylla seedling which, upon closer inspection, seems to be two separate plants really close together. Obviously if possible, I would like both plants to survive and grow. What would be my best strategy here?

• separate now?
• separate soon?
• separate after a while?
• don't separate because both might die, and see who survives?
• something else?
• there wouldn't be multiple growth points on a single plant of this size, right?

If one of the first three (yay!), best practice on undertaking the procedure? Reference photi show about 1 cm across.

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!

[thez_yo]

Is it a tissue culture plant or seed grown seedlings? It matters for if separation is possible.

[Grey Moss]

I'd just leave it. At that size you're likely to destroy the whole plant if try and cut the second growth point off. Usually what happens in this situation is that one growth point will become dominant and the other get abandoned by the plant anyway.

[Venus]

Is it a tissue culture plant or seed grown seedlings? It matters for if separation is possible.

Seed grown, thanks!!

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I'd just leave it. At that size you're likely to destroy the whole plant if try and cut the second growth point off. Usually what happens in this situation is that one growth point will become dominant and the other get abandoned by the plant anyway.

So you think we're looking at a single plant with multiple growth points? I wasn't aware that would happen for a plant at this stage. My assumption is that they're two germinated seeds that were very close to one another. I agree it should be left alone if a single plant. But if 2 plants (unless you feel pretty sure it's not), still the same recommendation?

[thez_yo]

Seed grown, thanks!!

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So you think we're looking at a single plant with multiple growth points? I wasn't aware that would happen for a plant at this stage. My assumption is that they're two germinated seeds that were very close to one another. I agree it should be left alone if a single plant. But if 2 plants (unless you feel pretty sure it's not), still the same recommendation?

So if it was TC I'd be 99% sure it's a double-headed plant and separation would be a bad idea pretty much ever. Since it's seedgrown, I would let them grow for a while longer for the reasons GreyMoss listed because right now they're extremely fragile. After they grow out though, it might be two plants from two seeds so presumably a very delicate and deliberate operation with good lighting and tweezers might get them separated with minimal damage.

[Venus]

So if it was TC I'd be 99% sure it's a double-headed plant and separation would be a bad idea pretty much ever. Since it's seedgrown, I would let them grow for a while longer for the reasons GreyMoss listed because right now they're extremely fragile. After they grow out though, it might be two plants from two seeds so presumably a very delicate and deliberate operation with good lighting and tweezers might get them separated with minimal damage.

I suspected as much. If it were you, at how big would you let them get before digging them up? As a FYI, repotting is inevitable at some point because there is a 3rd seedling in the same container, albeit at a safe enough distance apart that it can grow for a while with no worries.

[thez_yo]

I suspected as much. If it were you, at how big would you let them get before digging them up? As a FYI, repotting is inevitable at some point because there is a 3rd seedling in the same container, albeit at a safe enough distance apart that it can grow for a while with no worries.

The more I touch my plants the more I break . So based on that I'd wait til they're a good 3-4" across to really attempt it hoping they'd have substantial multiple roots by then so in case I broke some of them, they'd still have some left.

My process when I have to untangle roots is to soak the whole plant roots and all in RO. Gently swirl it around and remove the substrate from the roots very carefully with my fingers on a day where my hands are particularly steady, and repeat until I can easily and cleanly fish the plant out of the water. I wouldn't try that with little seedlings because the leaves are just too delicate and the roots too small. Most other people would use tweezers like when separating out plants that are in jelly in TC, but somehow I personally end up having more accidents with the plants with tools in hand.

[Venus]

...because the leaves are just too delicate and the roots too small...

I read that macrophylla can be quite 'woody'. I wouldn't know because these are the first I've had. I wonder if that trait will be beneficial for the eventual transplant.