This is probably a "duh" question, but I do not know diddly about bananas. I have a red-leaf that I kept in its pot in the greenhouse (cool) last winter, then restarted nicely. However, it is fairly tall, at least when I look at the trunk, and see bare space that I can't camouflage with other tall pots on the patio.
SO, can one cut off a trunk part way down, root the cutting and get side growth,as with other plants like Dieffenbachia, Draecena, etc.?
Thanks for any help!
Peter
Prune a banana?
Peter, u never prune banana plant, at least to my knowledge. ur best bet, is to wait for the mother plant to produce babies [pups], and separate the pups --> start new plants. then discard the mother plant. on the edible type of bananas, the mother plant produce fruit, then new pups appears. and the cycle goes on. hope that helps ... ma vie
just in case u need to learn more info try this url http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html
i always kind of thought that you're supposed to hack your bananas down in the winter when they turn brown and get mushy (if you're in an area where it freezes)
then again, i dont really know anything about nanners, either..
i've only got one (and i dont know what kind it is!)
and i'm not hacking it back.. ever.. unless i absolutely have to :)
Kim
Lisa posted something about bananas in areas that freeze. I think she said you leave the frozen stalks till March then cut them off at the ground so new ones can grow from the roots.
I never grew a banana tree, but they are everywhere here. Most winters they get yucky (as in mushy, nasty, gross), so come spring folks get after them with the machetes, cane knives, whatever. It's not so much 'pruning' as 'taking out the garbage'. They come back just as big if not bigger every year.
Peter, bananas don't do side growth (to my knowledge). It's a single trunk topped by leaves. I also don't think rooting would work. I think the look you are wanting would be a clump, Mother surrounded by half mature pups. Foliage at different heights . . . Perhaps a tall variety surrounded by different shorter varieties?
Cheri'
Ok.. I have full of bananas plants! I leave them alone during winter time.. Of course they turn brown, musy and rotten but dont cut them down.. Leave it alone until around in March, you can cut it down near to the ground and they will grow new ones from the ground from the Mother plant!
I left mine alone during winter time, it was ugly to see it. IN spring time, I didn't cut them off from the ground. They all grow new leaves from the top and lots of new ones come up from the ground!
Today, I went to the neighbor that I gave her two of baby bananas plant from 4 years ago. Guess what I saw. The mother plant have a new huge flower with a baby banana hanging on. I told her.. My plants haven't make any fruits but her plant do! I am jealous! lol
Thanks for all the input. In zone 7, my variety would freeze - at least I understqnd that it would not regrow from the ground after a 10 degree winter. It did fine in the g-house, nice firm trunk. And it does have two pups. I will see if they catch up and fill in. Else, I will cut it off - I'm thinking the best time to cut it would be when it is half dormant before I add more heat to ghe greenhouse next February or March. Anyhow, if it grows like last summer, it won't fit in the greenhouse by fall! If any of this sounds stupid, y'all let me know............................ p.s., just went to the url that Ma Vie kindly copied up above. It is a great reference, and answers each subquestion that has come up on this thread. Including how to best cut off the old trunk, hardiness issues, when to take pups, etc.
Peter