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Separating a Threesome

Z

zappa883

You put 2-3 seeds into a puck, one popped and same was transferred to a solo cup. All is still good till you give the solo a flip and find a "birds nest" of roots most new some at the bottom getting old.
How to separate and give each a solo to live in ?

Should clarify, I pulled the single popper out of the dome and off the heat mat. Thereafter the other 2 popped up and all are doing well. Now I need to divide same and give them some room. How do you separate this web ? And do the least damage ?
 
Just take your time... you will probably do damage... Not sure that is completely avoidable... Just be carefull, the more roots the better. one or both will likely go into shock for a time... Just baby them (but not too much). They will probably have nicer root systems down the line for having had their roots pruned. Assuming they survive.

Most people pinch off the extras.

But like you, I prefer to save them all.
 
If you have your heart set on saving all three, just run the root ball under water for a short period of time to remove all the soil so you can see everything and the roots are freed up a bit more. Then just take your time untangling.
 
Jay said:
If you have your heart set on saving all three, just run the root ball under water for a short period of time to remove all the soil so you can see everything and the roots are freed up a bit more. Then just take your time untangling.
Click to expand...
+1
Once they have established roots this is the only way to get it done, it will slow them all down a little. Wear clean latex gloves and don't let the roots come in contact with anything that could contaminate them.

For future reference....when I get multiples that sprout in the same cell or jiffy puck I leave the biggest one alone and carefully pull the extras up like a weed and stick them back in some soil. They'll slow down for a little bit, but will recover and grow fine. I've even snapped the tap root off just below the soil on a few like this and had them come back and do fine. Even better if you really want to keep everything that sprouts give them all their own cell or puck to start with.
 
Your options are as described in the previous posts. I prefer to germinate them in deli covered plastic cups. I would then place them in grow plugs and avoids those messy entanglements you find yourself in at moment. Every grow plug would have a bonafide single seedling thereafter.
 
I am confused about the ice water....why shock the plants? And it will definitely shock them...

as far as separating the plants...what has been said about being careful is about all you can do...
 
AlabamaJack said:
I am confused about the ice water....why shock the plants? And it will definitely shock them...

as far as separating the plants...what has been said about being careful is about all you can do...
Click to expand...

Oh sorry AJ :D, I was being silly in reference to the thread title.
Yes, I would not use ice water either in the actual context of this OP.
 
I just gently pull them a part if I want them separate. You want to keep as much of the roots intact but if they break it's not a big deal. You could also grow them together and try to form one big plant by twisting them together. I do that with some of mine.
 
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