Expert: C.L. Fornari - 5/15/2006

Question
hi Plantlady!  i just rescued this plumosus from a commercial site.  its root ball is about as big around as a 55 gallon drum 3' tall and solid roots.  The fronds have been mostly cutback.  I'm root pruning, 'cause i have no pots this size (even after i quartered it!!)  My question is do they like to be potbound?  And if i save as much root as possible will it kick the new foliage into overdrive? what conditions will it enjoy outdoors?  Are they rapid growers?  I know this is lots of questions, when i googled all I found out is that they are invasive in the tropics...  thanx so much for your time, I suspect we'll be chatting LOTS!  namaste,  B

Answer
Benjamin,
These plants will tolerate being potbound, but they don't tolerate going dry, so plant in soil that is high in organic matter.  If you live where it will be hardy outdoors, plant in part shade and in a place where the soil will be constantly moist but not swampy. How rapidly it grows depends on where you are (spring? fall?  It's different if you are in Oregon, New York or New Zealand!) and how much the plant was root pruned.

Keeping as much of the roots as possible will help any plant recover more quickly, but let's face it: plants can really amaze us with their willingness to live and grow.

I would keep the newly planted plants moist, and don't fertilize until the plant starts to grow several new stems.  (Fertilizer pushes leaf growth that a newly divided plant doesn't have the root system to support.)
I hope this helps!
C.L.