Philodendron transplant?

Question

Hi, we have a Gigantis? Philo, which has outgrown it's area and need to transplant it, can you cut the stem in half and it still grow? and can I save the top half by planting it minus the leaves, too beautiful to lose.
Thanks in advance

Thanks for the advice, all very helpful, the Philo will live to see another day

Answer 1

From a lifetime of experience with Philodendron, YOU CANNOT KILL IT. Prune back the runners to ten inches or so. Or split the plant. Either way it will survive just fine.

Some years ago I planted a small household Philo outside, it has run up oak trees and the leaves are easily two feet wide and 3 feet long and twenty five feet high. It is crazy, they are taking over my world.

I am assuming yours is the runner type. If so just prune back those runners, they prefer being pruned so the plant energy goes shorter distances. If this is a not the runner type. You should be able to split the plants root base vertically through the middle with a long knife and plant half of it in another pot or location. It should be absolutely fine.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

If it is a runner and you want to save the top half, think of the long leafless stems as sort of an umbilical cord. A Philly stem will throw new roots at every junction. You may even see some little ones at those junctions if you look. That's how it attaches itself as it climbs trees. If you set a pot of good soil next to it and bury the stems below the nice top part, the "umbilical from the mother plant will keep it healthy until the new roots get established - which might take a month or so. Then you can clip off where the umbilical leads into the new plant and also cut it back closer to the "mother" plant. She'll be a lot happier then, too.