I have been short on pots. So when a Plumie branch breaks off I just stick in with the mother plant. Now I have little plants growing in with the big plant. Can I dig them out safely without harming any of them?

Yes, but I would make sure they are fully rooted before you remove them. The first few roots tend to be brittle and can easily break off.

Two of the starts have big leaves. Would that be the indication they have rooted? I put them in the dirt in April. That was a bad idea. I am not going to do that again. I will always have good pots and soil around!

Rooted? How deep can I safely dig and around them?



Almost rooter? Maybe another month?



Def NOT rooted!

Good visual aid and you are correct on your assessments.

The first thing I do when determining whether a cutting has rooted is visual. If new leaves are growing, and some of them are nicely green and getting large, that's the first step. Then I gently tug on the "trunk". If it comes out of the potting media easily, you won't see roots. If there is good resistance to dislodgement, you will have roots. Unless the potting media is very dense (dirt), it should be easy to use your hands and just dig adjacent to the plant(s). If you think the cuttings were put 3" below the soil-line, then just dig at least that deep. When you remove enough media from around the plant, simply go ahead and pull the plant out. It will come out easily, again, so long as the media is not terribly dense. Then repot the plant(s).

Thanks! I will pot up the two largest ones tomorrow.

All done. I was surprised how small the root systems were in the two I planted. Also discovered day before yesterday's watering was all gone. So everyone got a big drink when I was through. The stems seem a little soft to me. So cross your fingers. The one that wasn't thriving rotted out. But the small tip of the orange that broke off seems to be taking hold.