Many palm trees form a trunk from which the characteristic tuft grows. These palm trees cannot be divided because the main trunk feeds the plant and it would inevitably die. However, there are also palm species that form side shoots or saplings. You can cut these off and grow new palm trees from the sprouts.
How to divide and propagate palm trees?
Palm trees can be propagated by separating side shoots. First, carefully remove the shoot from the mother plant, plant it in potting soil and cover it with a plastic bag. Provide a warm, bright environment and regular ventilation and watering.
Separate the shoot from the mother plant
If you pot up your palm tree, side shoots will often appear directly from the root. If the shoots have already formed a few fronds, you can separate them from the mother plant; they usually grow well. Follow these steps:
- Lift the palm tree out of the planter.
- Clean a very sharp knife well so that no germs get in through the cut.
- Cut off the shoot.
- Place this in a small flower pot filled with potting soil or a sand-peat mixture.
- Put a transparent plastic bag over the offshoot and close it in the lower area (greenhouse climate).
- Keep the offspring bright and warm. The optimal temperature is between 20 and 23 degrees.
- Don't forget to ventilate every day. This means that putrefactive bacteria and mold spores have no chance.
Caring for the little palm tree
It is poured very carefully with lukewarm, lime-free water. Be careful not to let the soil get too wet. Too much moisture inhibits root development and promotes rot.
It can take up to three months for the palm tree to sprout roots. You can tell that the breeding has been successful when the offspring sprouts new fronds. Now you can remove the plastic bag.
Watering and fertilizing in the first year
It is important that you only water the plant moderately and never keep it too moist or too dry, because young plants are much more sensitive than older palm trees.
There is no fertilization at all in the first six months. You can then supply the plant with half the dosage of a commercially available fertilizer every 14 days.
Tip
Propagation by seeds is extremely time-consuming in palm trees. There are varieties that take two years to germinate and it takes several more years for the small plants to grow into attractive palm trees.
