Separating a community pot of cuttings

[Crazy for Crotons]

What's the best way to separate a group of well established cuttings in a community pot? I'd say they've been there for over a year and should have well established roots. Is it better to pull them apart gently or go in and make surgical round cuts around each cutting? They are all rare so this is not a pot filled with Petra, Mortii, Stewartii and Franklin Roosevelt.

 

[fawnridge]

Accept the fact that anything you do is going put the plants into shock. That having been said, gently separating the roots is going to cause the least amount of shock. Water the pot heavily the night before. In the morning, in the shade, take the entire community out of the pot (break it if necessary.) Using a hose, wash away as much soil as possible. Keeping the water running as a mist, pull the roots apart. Put the plants in a very loose soil and water twice a day for a few weeks.

 

[Central Floridave]

I'd use a large steak knife and cut into the soil and leaving rootball for each stem.

Sometime's I will seperate croton that are three cuttings to a pot and use a knife to give each stem a little bit of the root ball.

 

[Crazy for Crotons]

I will try this on Saturday. Hopefully there are no casualties.