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Yes

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No

2 (25%)

Let nature take its course

6 (75%)

Total Members Voted: 8

[modern]

So I have these two Spondias dulcis aka Ambarella seedlings that are starting to pick up speed in growth rate and size. I've read that they are self fertile so no need to keep two different plants for fruits.

I originally was gonna just leave the two seedlings together as separating them would likely kill them both. My fear now is that one my strangle the other as they grow larger although plants of the same species tend to be able to 'share' root space without killing each other. From what I remember reading they are aware of each others root system and tend to 'share resources'

If you think I should kill off the smaller seedling do I just cut as close to the base as possible to prevent any new sprouts or you have a better idea? I do not want to uproot them.

Not the best photos but you can see that one seedling is clearly out growing the other.

[danzick]

It depends.     How hard were the seeds to get?  Were they expensive?  Are the genetics of this particular ambarella special in any way (fruit size, flavor, etc).  How difficult are the seeds to germinate?  How confident are you that the remaining plant won't die? 

If the seeds are cheap and easy to get and germination is no problem, etc., then cut off the smaller one at the soil line.

Otherwise, I would separate them by washing away the soil ball under a gentle stream of water.  The roots separate easily that way, with minimal damage.    (You probably already know this.    )

I sow seeds frequently in a community pot, and that method works all the time.

I know you don't want to uproot them, but two plants competing for the limited resources in a pot will probably  be detrimental to both.  Maybe, if the pot is big enough and you feed frequently it will be less of an issue. 

[EIRN]

Otherwise, I would separate them by washing away the soil ball under a gentle stream of water.  The roots separate easily that way, with minimal damage.    (You probably already know this.    )

I did it with Caapi, novo, and some others...no problem since you do it gently

two plants competing for the limited resources in a pot will probably  be detrimental to both. 

Two plants in the same pot isn't good for both....if you are afraid of separate them, cut the smallest.

[cunningplatypus]

Modern,

ERIN and Danzick's advice above is excellent, though I think there may be some issues particular to Ambarella.

In my limited experience, Ambarella seed pods are incredibly woody and fibrous. There are five seed chambers buried underneath a mess of fiber and tough, matted 'hair'. In each chamber, there seems to be a single fragile seed, resembling a sunflower seed. I have tried several times to gently remove the seed from the pod, but I found it all but impossible to do without destroying the seeds in all that mess.

Here's a (bad) photo of the seed pod, after scraping away much of the fiber. Excuse my giant fingers:



As a result, in your case, what you probably have is two sprouts (from different seed chambers) growing THROUGH the tough, woody seed pod. Therein lies the problem; the sprout roots are not only intertwined, but are also connected by their woody seedpod. Until this pod decomposes, it's gonna be hard to separate the two.

There must be a reason for this pod design, but damned if I know. Maybe Mother Nature only wants the strongest seedling to survive.

If it were me, I'd just wait and let them both grow unless you have a definite reason to separate the two. Maybe you could dig down and see if the woody pod is easy to break apart? Who knows -- maybe it's already decomposed.

If you want to give separating them a shot, and accidentally end up killing your seedlings, then no worries. I've got another one with your name on it. 
 

 

     
 

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[modern]

Thanks everyone... I'll just leave it alone and in a year will decide if I should kill it.

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[modern]

Rather then making a new thread just thought I'd post it here.

So I ended up cutting the smaller seedling near the root; killing it. I unpotted and trimmed backed the larger ambarella so that I can plant in the ground next week. It seems the stress so far is minimal and hopefully it will do fine in the ground.  The smaller plant is a kratom that just started to grow well but will also be planted in the ground next week. I'll update in a month or two with another update. These should grow much faster in the ground and with more sunlight

1 Like cunningplatypus likes this.