Not exactly gardening

[Marthe48]

I got a big tub and some dirt today, planning to repot my Mom's Norfolk pine. She got it probably before 2000, in a Christmas arrangement. Of course, it survived. She could start a thriving plant from a leaf. This Norfolk pine got bigger and bigger. I repotted it before. Mom passed away in 2007, and I inherited her plants. We had a huge split-leaf philodendron. She had had it since the early 1960s. After my husband passed away in 2017, and I realized that most of the stuff I have is unwanted by the next generation, and this giant 6' x 6' plant was among the unwanted, I found a plant sanctuary in Rutland, Ohio. It mainly focuses on native plants, but since the split-leaf is threatened, they accepted it as a donation, and a lady came and got it. Since then, I've gotten down to 4 plants: a snake plant my my gave me 50+ years ago, a potted hosta my daughter gave me in 1995, a fern my husband gave me the last Mother's Day he was with me, a succulent my daughter gave me about 3 years ago, and the Norfolk pine. My daughter took my Mom's ficus, and it is doing well with her.

Anyway, today, I will report the Norfolk pine. It is 7' tall, and most of the fronds are at the top of the trunk. I'm thinking of putting the tub on a slant so the tree will be at an angle, instead of up, as there is no room. Maybe after I have it in the new pot, I can talk someone into taking it.

On edit: Here is a link to the website for the plant sanctuary, part of Save a Plant: https://www.facebook.com/upsbotanicalsanctuary/

[Donkees]

1. Have you read about pruning the top off, and propagating cuttings?

[Marthe48]

2. I read a little about shaping them

I got it repotted a little while ago, and have it set in the pot on a slant. That gave it about 20" of headroom. There is new growth starting on top, so I'll let it be for now.

I might get it outside for the summer. I didn't get any of the plants out last year because the weather was so unreliable.

Do you have a link? TY

[Donkees]

3. Here's an excerpt and link:

Once the top is cut off, it will form side branches ...

Norfolk Pines from Cuttings
1.
According to the University of Florida, to start fill a 4-inch plastic pot with sanitary, fast-draining medium such as peat moss or coarse sand. Pour water onto the medium and stir it around until it feels moderately moist throughout. Let the excess water drain from the holes at the bottom of the pot for 10-to-15 minutes before potting the Norfolk pine cutting.

2.
Gather a 6- to 8-inch cutting from the terminal leader of the Norfolk pine, which is the vertical stem located at the top of the plant. Sever the cutting where it emerges from the symmetrically arranged cluster of side branches using a utility knife. Do not use a side branch as a cutting because it will create an irregularly shaped tree.

3.
Strip off the needle-like foliage from along the lower half of the stem. Dust the stem with rooting hormone powder, then tap it to knock loose the excess powder. Create a planting hole in the medium that is deep enough to hold the leafless part of the Norfolk pine stem.

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/propagate-norfolk-pine-houseplant-89574.html

[Marthe48]

4. Thanks for the quick reply!

If I try this, I'll let you know. The tree I just repotted isn't very pretty. But it's alive.

[Donkees]

5. If you decide not to prune it, you might add some smaller Norfolk plants to fill out the big pot

if the bottom half looks too bare.

[Marthe48]

6. That's a good idea

The trunk is bare to the leaves, so it looks like a palm tree. If I put it outside, maybe I can put a lawn chair under it and pretend I'm in Hawaii! lol