Audrey is the name of the tree philodendron that has been my companion for the past 27 years. She came to me as a little thing in a 4 inch pot. Like more relationships, it was an innocent beginning. However, she has grown into her own over the years. Grown being the optimal word. Her single bud of a stalk had turned into 8! Her roots have outgrown pot after pot, and now she resides in the largest planter that I can manage. Her year consists of 6 months in the sun room and 6 months on the deck. At over 7 feet tall, she has become too large for her own good. Something had to be done. I've felt this decision coming for some time now. Today seemed like as good a day as any. The surgery involved taking off her lead stalk as low down as possible. The result was the removal of a 5.5 foot section of trunk and fronds. Had they remained, once back inside, they would have been pressed against the ceiling of the sun room where acquiring light would be impossible. From what I've read, and been told, she should recover from this trunk-ectomy fine. The next task will be moving her back inside! At over 200 pounds, it's a job that requires more than myself to complete.
Determining the best place to made the cut. The complicated relationship between the main trunk and its siblings with intertwined roots and the proximity of tender fronds that I do not want to harm. It's also necessary to make the cut at an angle to help it dry and thus discourage the growth of any harmful mold while the wound "heals".
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