Tools.. Garden Spade, and Digging Bar.. The thin blade works great for pots (my super digger is not depicted (I got @ Harbor Freight and installed a foot peg is really what is needed for large mats in the ground).
If I'm going to cut a pup I make sure its at least a foot tall. Now since the mother bit the dust due to winter I would split this corm in half for the pups, but I plan on planting this whole, but in case that doesn't work I have a backup plan..
I was successful..
Here is a Caligold pup ripe for cutting..
1st thing I do when I'm fixing to cut a pup is attempt to remove as much material from the joint of where I'm going to make a cut, and loosen the soil around the pup that's being cut w/ a garden spade (this works in a large pot too).
When I cut the pup I do not make a vertical cut, I make an angular cut, the tip slicing towards the mother slightly, the point cutting a portion of the mothers corm w/ the pup insuring the pup has more corm and roots for the most part. A clean cut thru the bottom of the Mother's corm is imperative. You don't want the bottom of the pup to break off when removal, a clean cut helps a lot, along with bottom support during extraction that's why I use a garden spade normally. (Pulling a pup vertical by hand leaves little room for success, and wide open for all kinds of damage.)
Now after making the clean cut I pull the pup away from the mother w/ my digging bar so not only do I get visual proof the pup has been separated, I have a clean cut, it leaves no surprises. The pull back on the bar away from the mother is helped by the loosening of the soil before making the cut. If you don't loosen the soil when pulling bar after the cut the pup has less room due to soil pressure, and risk damaging the pup. I like to reduce any stress factors in the pups transition I can..
Above you can see in the gap and see the cut is clean.. Now I use the cutter as wedge since there is a fence in the way and the mother is not. The top of the mother corm helped pry this pup out successfully, and easily.
Here is the pup Potted up.. The cut is away from the tag on the pot so I know which way the fruit will hang if I up pot this I will mark the pot with a line on the same side, or position pup in the ground that best suits me if it should fruit.
Note: using a shovel is not recommended since it cuts roots thus slowing my recovery time in my growing zone.
*This is only my opinion.. :^)