Pygmy palm

Question

I have a Pigmy Palm which has 3 trunks. With all the rain, one of them fell over but is still attached by the root. The roots look exposed, and I suspect we initially planted it too close to the surface. My question is: can I just chop it off and replant it?

Answer 1

First, see this article to determine whether the tree was actually planted too shallowly or whether the exposed roots you see are normal:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep344

If it really was planted too shallowly, the whole tree should be dug up with its roots and transplanted so that it sits in the soil at the proper depth, as described in this article:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep001

You can chop off the damaged trunk if it's detached from the rest of the tree, but don't chop the entire tree off at ground level. Instead, dig up enough of its roots so it will survive, as explained in the second article.