Very nice!
I bought my first one last Spring and planted it. It grew great. I just wish I dug it and brought it in before the first freeze.
Definitely NOT a cold-hardy palm. 😳
--Erik

Yeah, thats what I have read. I plan to keep this guy as a houseplant. I'll post more pictures tomorrow when it's in the nice new pot. 🙂

Whoa, Carl, hold on, please don't divide it.... :shaking:

That's a very tricky process and will almost certainly lead to its death unless you or your friend has done that before.

Four stems are very nice ... mine has 7, it's just the way the nursery industry sells them as it's well received by the public.
They look good in groups, and the stems are seldom the same height which is attractive too.

Great looking PDP.
Sorry to be so bossy, but unless you're a palm nurseryman, not a good idea to divide it.
...and this to a new member who's been with us a week. :argue: sorry!

Barb

Well I'll talk more about it with my friend tomorrow. She has done gardening and landscaping for a long time. I do trust her if she says shes done it before. Would there be a right way to do it if any? Sorry to worry you.

EDIT:

If need be I can take it up to my local nursery to see if they could do it instead (if at all). If it means killing my palm I won't go through with it. But I'll see my options.

if she says shes done it before

whew...that's a relief.

But hey, why not just buy another PDP for your friend as a gift :king:

This bossy old woman will shut up now.
Barb

This bossy old woman will shut up now.
Barb

No really, I appreciate your response. I'm glad to have advice flying in. Its better then having me kill my own tree.

My friend is honestly old enough to be my mother and has all sorts of plants in, and outside, of her home. She gets paid to landscape on the side as well. So if she thinks we may not be able to do it I definitely won't. I will say thank you though for putting up with my inexperience. 😳

my inexperience

Nonsense...we're all still learning.

It'll be interesting to hear what your friends decides.
Barb

I have to admit--now I'm curious.
If you do go for surgery, please describe it for us, perhaps with photos/video.

I actually just noticed a bit of white stuff on the palm? Here is a picture. Any ideas?

Carl, two things: Good news/bad news

First, pygmy date palms (and their relative, canary island date palms) just about always have this "look" to their new growth.
Rough bumpy feel, bumps don't come off when you run your fingers (gently...spines!) along the petiole.

Here's my healthy PDP:
<img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04097" />

On close inspection, you'll see mostly on the new growth but also on older leaves this look:
<img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04096" />

Even lower down, it's evident:
<img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04094" />

BUT:
If the "white things" are slowly MOVING AROUND and have a very "cotton fluff" appearance, you've got mealy bug 😀

http://www.ehow.com/how_6935_control-mealybugs.html

I don't think you've got mealy bugs but have a close inspection and watch for movement, especially in the crevices.

Barb

Nope no bugs. Thanks Barb. You're very helpful 🙂

UPDATE: I weighed the idea (and the opinions of people smarter than me) along with my friends opinion and we decided to take a safe route. We only separated one small part to see how it would do and re-potted it.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/56126908@N04/5190592055/" title="Pygmy Date Palm 4 by swordsman_zero, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="Pygmy Date Palm 4" />

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/56126908@N04/5191190372/" title="Pygmy Date Palm 5 by swordsman_zero, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="Pygmy Date Palm 5" />

Here also is the mother plant in its new pot. 🙂

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/56126908@N04/5190590487/" title="Pygmy Date Palm 6 by swordsman_zero, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="Pygmy Date Palm 6" />

Looks like you got a nice fibrous root mass, well done.

Thanks, I'm sure this way everything will survive. 😀