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sbl
04-29-2010, 06:43 AM
My unknown red banana made it thru the winter with one good leaf on each of the two main stems. Shortly after I took it out of the greenhouse. the wind broke both leaves--that was over a month ago. Since then, niether stalk has put out a new leaf, but there are at least half a dozen pups. The stems are still firm--will they ever put out a new leaf or am I going to have a container full of pups?

fishoifc
04-29-2010, 06:49 AM
I also have a yard full of stems,I am thinking any day now, did some cutting yesterday and found some good stuff,I did loose two big stems on a unknown that I was hopping for a flower.I am guessing we just have to hurry up and wait,I know every year my neighbors who dont do anything to there stems they eventually start where they stopped.

NANAMAN
04-29-2010, 12:53 PM
It could be a few things.
1). Still adjusting to temps. outside the greenhouse.
2). About to flower and choked.
3). Rotting down inside the P-stem.
4). OK but leaves are stuck.
5). Stressed and gave up on main plant, producing pups for self preservation.

Don't know what your lows are in your location, but it could still be kinda dormant. ( I doubt it's this scenario ). After a month you should have something happening. kinda rules out #1
I've noticed that most varieties will spit out several pups just prior to flowering, ( gives a little credence to scenarios 2 & 5 ).
If #2 you wont know for a while, unless you excavate the P-stem.
If#3 you have to cut into the P-stem to find it.
If#4 cut a little off of the P-stem and see if there are leaves rolled up inside.
If#5 you will know soon enough, the P-stem will start to shrivel up after a while as the pups grow.

I had one this year that had several healthy leaves, but no new growth after it warmed up. So I cut into it to see what was going on. at the top I found green leaves rolled up, so I cut further down, and found premature flower and fruit. Further below that , almost at the base, was rot in the center of the P-stem.
The way I figure it, that plant was about to flower prior to the extended cold we had, went dormant and-or choked, then just shifted it's energy to producing pups. The plant looked great but had not produced any new growth in about 4 months. I had several other pups of this variety, so I didn't mind dissecting the plant to find out. Hope that helps. Good luck! Please post what you find!

fishoifc
04-29-2010, 02:12 PM
Took some pics of a few stems I have in the yard,yesterday I discovered that I have lost three stems from some corm rot two of those were firm with color one even had a green leaf pushed out about a inch,but down a ground level the insides were white mush.
Here are some pics of some I am waiting on.
this is a unknown maybe a D. orinoco this is its second winter overwintering in a shed it always stays green like this although last season it never went into rapid growth until almost the end of july,it is about 6 foot. http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31186&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31186&ppuser=3890)
Here is a Ice cream taken from the neighborhood,about 8 foot it has three pups now.this plant was wrapped with lights and burlap,it stayed green all winter.A week ago I cut a ten inch leaf it had pushed out since unwrapping this plant because it appeared stuck any way no frowth yet from the main stem,just checked the neighbors plants same thing pups only.http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31187&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31187&ppuser=3890)
got my fingers crossed hopping any day now these things will wake up

sbl
04-30-2010, 09:48 PM
Thanks--I think I counted 6 small pups--I hope it is not choking. If I cut it vertically to see what is happening, will that mess up the flower? Most of the other naners are doing fine. Temps have been getting into upper 70s and low 80s for highs, most lows have been in the 50s and 60s, but some of the lows have been into the upper 40s--next week we get more normal temps--highs in the 80s lows in the 70s.

LilRaverBoi
05-03-2010, 04:19 PM
It clearly isn't dead since it's still firm. I would just leave it and see what it does. Hopefully it will send out new leaves in a bit from the main stem. Otherwise, they occasionally kinda 'give-up' on the main stem and recover from pups. Either way, the plant is NOT dead by any means and will survive through the main plant and/or pups, so just wait it out and see what happens. Nothing to worry about.

Abnshrek
05-03-2010, 09:55 PM
I had an Ice Cream that was simular to this; it took a month for the leaf to be almost completely out and that was with a lil help from me @ the end. You could trim a 1/2 inch off the top of the corm only without removing the center. :^)

sbl
05-05-2010, 07:19 PM
Thanks--I did cut a couple inches off of both of the stems and one has started pushing out a new leaf--the other one looked solid green in the middle--I think it will eventually push one out.