Viewing post #806268 by needrain

No worry on losing the half. That was a season before the photo. The half that was left grew back to a plant as large as before it was halved . A problem I've had with both densiflorus 'Myers', which you have, and densiflorus 'Sprengeri' is that somehow that root system attaches to the sides of the container. They have been really, really difficult to un-pot so to speak. I wasn't kidding about using a hammer and chisel. I did on 'Sprengeri'. I tried to chisel it into four sections. I still couldn't get it free. I used the hammer and a 14" flat head screwdriver and worked all the way around it and finally used the screwdriver like a pry bar and got it free. After I finally got it out, I used a tree limb saw with huge teeth to finish cutting the sections I'd chiseled. I ended up filling one of the holes my big dogs had dug with the root mass I trimmed off of what ended up being five pieces so I could get them to fit back in the container. My container is a salvaged metal smoker top from a BBQ grill. If it had been a ceramic or clay pot, I don't think I could have removed it without breaking the container. It has to be done again this spring because it's growth is now pushing it about 1/2" above the rim. At least 'Myers' doesn't have the thorns like 'Sprengeri'. I consider these brutish plants in spite of their frothy appearance. Whenever someone tells me they 'can't grow anything because they always kill it', I always have the silent thought that they haven't tried to grow these plants . The qualities that make them brutes also makes tough and reliable choices for a careless caretaker.