I’ve got a very common potted palm plant in my apartment. I don’t know its official type name, so let me describe it. My plant consists of three light brown stalks growing out of a large pot of soil. The stalks are topped with thin green leaves, and the whole package is about 6 feet tall. The stalks are covered entirely by overlapping “scales,” like real full-sized palm trees. They are a little thicker than broomsticks at their bases, but taper as they go up. Theor long, flat, narrow leaves grow *directly * out of the top 12 to 18 inches of the stalks. Each leaf is about 12 to 18 inches long and about 3/4 to 1 inch wide at the widest point.
Here’s my question. The stalks are not perfectly straight; they have little twists and bends – some severe – near their tops as a result of having been moved around in the sunlight. Furthermore, the whole thing is taller than I’d like it to be. Can I prune – that is, cut – the stalks to the height I’d like, and expect them to grow new leaves at or near the cut?
A related question. One of the stalks has begun to sprout a new, leafing branch at about the height I’d like the whole stalk to be. If I cut off the main branch just past the new, sprouting branch, will the new branch simply “take over,” or will the cut irreparably damage the whole stalk.
In addition, you may be able to to root the cutting(s) – get some vermiculite (it will be with the potting soil at whatever store you buy pots, etc., form) and rooting hormone (sold in a small jar, usually). Put vermiculite in a pot that doesn’t have a drainage hole and wet it down, to the pint where it’s damp, not soggy. Cut off the stems and moisten the bottom couple of inches in a bit of water, dip them in the rooting compound, and stick them in the vermiculite. Keep the pot in a spot with decent light, but not in direct sunlight, and keep the vermiculite moist. In a few weeks (depends on the plant – and since growing season is winding down, it might take longer), gently pull the stem out and see how it’s doing. If zero has happened, the experiement is probably a failure. If there’s a little bit of root action, gently put the stem back in and let it go another couple weeks. If theres’ good root action, you can pot it – or just poke a hole in the soil in the original pot and let it join its brethren.
BTW, the plant contorting because it’s leaning to the light – turn the pot every time you water the plant and that shouldn’t be as much of a problem.