Comments on: Propagating Rhapis excelsa (Lady Palm) by division

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:02:09 +0000

Hi Laurel! These palms cannot be pruned back to promote bushiness as new growth occurs at the top central growing point of the canes. Nonetheless, if your clumps are healthy and well-cared, they should be producing offshoots or new plants from the underground rhizomes which will then add fullness themselves.

By: Laurel McCarthy

Laurel McCarthy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:58:54 +0000

We have just spent the afternoon removing the dead bits from our Lady Palms. These palms grow in the ground along a fence. Some of the palms are now looking a bit skinny with a few gaps here and there. How do they thicken up? Should we lop them from the top? We live in Australia in Queensland so these palms do well here – they were planted by previous owners so we don’t know much about them although your website has been a great help. Thanks Laurel

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:58:27 +0000

Question: Is there a way to keep these tough lady palms, planted in the ground, from spreading? I have dug up and repotted so many already! Somewhere I heard that copper might work, along the line of a chemical reaction, but no details! I am getting ready to remove a clump that has outgrown its bed, and am thinking of adding a copper strip (like a drip or threshold strip) at the edge of the bed. Don’t mind spending the $ or time to do this, but am wondering if a building supply store available strip would be deep enough to stop the rhyzome spread?

Does any one have any insights or other ideas?

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:32:23 +0000

Haha…you’d definitely need that extra muscle, Carolyn! This is one tough ‘Lady’, you’ll see! That’s typical of most palms, no more new fronds will emerge from where the old fronds have dropped and left leaf scars on the stems. Nonetheless, as you’ve guessed. suckers will sprout to create a multi-level look, which gives a lovely appearance, I think.
Cheers and all the best in your repotting!

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:11:50 +0000

So glad to have found this information. I’m about to re-pot my Lady Palm. Looks like I may need to enlist my hubby for the extra muscle even though it’s just a houseplant.

The tallest canes no longer have fronds on the lower part of the stems. Is it possible for them to sprout new leaves on the bare stems. Or must I rely entirely on new shoots and younger/shorter canes to fill the void?

This is the only palm I’ve ever grown, so my knowledge is very limited.

Thanks,
Carolyn

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:49:55 +0000

You’re right, James…it’s chop, chop and chop, but beware that each young plant must have at least its tap root with some healthy lateral (or is it fibrous?) roots to continue its growth, as illustrated in the image above.
Our lady palm is doing very fine now, with an addition of 3 new shoots (now about 8 inches tall) since the replanting. And, according to our son who received 6 young offsets from us, 4 out of 6 are growing fine too. These palms are real tough ladies!! :)

By: james

james — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:32:41 +0000

Hi Jacq,

I’m curious about the root mass. You mean the whole root ball thingy is unwanted and the only thing that matters is those few root trails from the plant?

From the pic, I see its like (chop..chop..chop)
just remove the shoots. So, I guess what is important is the main root and not the fine roots encircling?

Do let me know how is the lady palm doing now.
Thanks.

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:56:19 +0000

Hi Kay! I can just imagine you ‘wrestling with your Lady Palm, who is no lady but a big bully, yes? ;)
Anyway, wish you the very best in your transplanting.
And thanks for the compliment…really appreciate it!

By: Kay

Kay — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:43:30 +0000

I struggled/wrestled too this past weekend separating my Lady Palm. We live on the south west coast of Florida and my Lady Palm is planted in the ground – sandy soil with morning sun . I had to move a storage box as I was attempting to separate a volunteer that was on the wrong side of the fence (just couldn’t get it to budge even after I cut the horizontal roots so I gave up on that one at least for now!). I found another volunteer growing under the box! Sturdy crooked stalk with small almost yellow leaves but very much alive so I have transplanted it into a pot. We’ll see how it does. I transplanted a stalk a few weeks ago and it is growing as if nothing has happened and we had not had much rain and my watering is sporatic at best. Wish all my plants responded so well to transplanting! Love your website as it is very informative! Keep up the good work.