Can you split a kentia palm?

[Vicky-W]

Hello! 🙂
I’m UK-based and have a few indoor palms that I love. My favourite is my large kentia palm, which I picked up for free (yay!) after a wedding - they were shipped in as decor and then not wanted so it came home with me.
 

It was repotted about 5 years ago, and has sat in the same spot for the past 3-years which it seems to like. However, the palm is starting to look a bit sad - lots of regular new growth but brown ends on the frond's of each palm. It’s watered every 2-weeks and given palm feed too. Any advice on why it’s going brown?

I’m also looking to repot it and, for the first time, have noticed that it could actually be four palms that have been planted together. If so, can these be separated out or will the roots be too closely interwoven? Happy to keep it as one plant if splitting the palm means they could all die. There are currently new fronds still growing so is it best to split and/or repot when the plant is dormant. 
 

Thanks very much for any suggestions or advice. 🌿

[SeanK]

More water and a bigger pot, for starters.

As for separating them, good question for 5 years ago. I will defer to our West Coast growers as I've never seen Howea east of the Mississippi River.

[wimmie]

I would give it a go! Just be gentle with the roots and operate in a big bucket with water.

[MoPalm]

Yes you can. Just make sure to save as much as you can roots from both trees. As everyone mentioned, water every day for a week and use seaweed or fish emulsion plus B vitemin to help with transplant shock. 

Something you need to know once you separate them: 

1- Try to use media that doesn't help rotting. I like Peat moss and sand mixed together. 

2- Do not fertlize until you see new growth. Or at least wait one month or so. Use Fish emulsion in the meanwhile. 

 

Good luck! 

 

[happypalms]

Tricky procedure that should be done outside with a good hose. It will be a tangled mess so you will really need to tease the roots apart. Perhaps a two person job with one person holding the palms and another person tease the roots apart working in combination together to seperate them. Remove some of the leaves 2 or 3 and a spear. Give them some seaweed extract for vitamin B and sit them in place outside in quite shady corner it will shock them but done carefully it will work. I used to work with kentia palms years ago and we teased many a plant apart in a commercial manner. Good luck