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View Full Version : Help! My pups always die.


tbaleno
08-11-2011, 07:19 PM
Another one of my pups turned to mush. It seems all my transplants rot. I don't water them too much. I try to only water them when the soil is dry on the top.

Do people let the pups dry out first before planting them?

I kind of need a step by step newbie guide for transplanting pups.

cherokee_greg
08-11-2011, 08:37 PM
Try this link

http://www.bananas.org/f2/time-separate-pups-spring-1814.html#post169518

sunfish
08-11-2011, 08:40 PM
Dry on top could still be wet on the bottom. I think checking an inch or two down only works with some of the better potting soils.

tbaleno
08-11-2011, 08:58 PM
I've seen that link and read it many times. I guess I just have a brown thumb.

island cassie
08-12-2011, 12:39 AM
Tom - if they turn to mush - too much water is the cause almost certainly. Pot them and then don't water until they start to put out big new leaves - and even then be mean with the water. If you think they might need water - go away! They are tough and will grow away when dry.

tbaleno
08-12-2011, 09:11 AM
I think I'll just take the container and put it in the basement out of site.

cherokee_greg
08-12-2011, 09:20 AM
what do you have them planted in ? Do you have them in small pots ? I started putting mine in smaller pots. They seem to be doing great that way. I use that super soil. It seems to be working out fine for me. I let the leaves die off than I cut them off.I also keep them somewhat shaded too. Dont give up.

snc
08-12-2011, 12:43 PM
Don't use ANY potting soil that says moisture control on the bag (esp. miracle grow). The soil will never dry out below the surface. I could not even grow a philodendron in that crap and stopped using it years ago.

I usually buy a (cheap)bag of topsoil, bag of mushroom compost, add a little peat, and then a few shovel fulls of the naturally occuring soils from my backyard. Although the "soil" in my yard is 90-95% sand.

That mixture has produced/worked well for me, the added sand gives me a well draining soil. I would rather have my pots dry out and water an extra time a week then go two weeks and have my plants sit in a soggy pot.

Gabe15
08-12-2011, 12:52 PM
Are you transplanting water suckers or sword suckers? Do you have any photos of the type of suckers you've been dealing with before they go into pots?

tbaleno
08-13-2011, 09:24 AM
Gabe, they look like a smaller versions of the parent.

sandy0225
09-01-2011, 06:42 PM
if you have trouble with pups, then wait to separate them until the pups are at least two feet tall. You hardly ever lose a 2 foot pup. They are just sturdier then.

kaczercat
09-02-2011, 09:40 PM
if you have trouble with pups, then wait to separate them until the pups are at least two feet tall. You hardly ever lose a 2 foot pup. They are just sturdier then.

i know its really safe to separate at 2 ft i just separated a blood banana pup a foot and a half tall, 3 days of shock and now its growing again. potted bananas are such a pain to keep alive sometimes ! i have 2 in pots.

tbaleno
09-04-2011, 04:25 PM
I transplanted two pups. I think one finally made it. It is still green while the other is brown.

tommyg
09-27-2011, 02:11 PM
I don't have any pups yet or much of anything as I'm on day 3 with my SDC plants, but i'll read up on those links so I'll know what to do when my plants grow some more.

Also from MA!!

-Tom

stevelau1911
09-27-2011, 07:14 PM
If you are separating pups in the fall, it is much harder no matter how large a pup you have especially given that you are already in the northeast where it is getting cold.

I've done it once where I purposely waited until spring right when the pups started to emerge on the musa basjoo and then when I saw each of the individual pups already which is in the beginning of May, I dug up the entire corm and sectioned it off like a pie. All of the divisions survived and it looked like the ones with a larger corm piece attached grew faster. I also made sure the roots were not broken and each piece got enough corm, and all of them ended up surviving.

sunfish
09-27-2011, 07:18 PM
Tom - if they turn to mush - too much water is the cause almost certainly. Pot them and then don't water until they start to put out big new leaves - and even then be mean with the water. If you think they might need water - go away! They are tough and will grow away when dry.

The best advice

tbaleno
09-27-2011, 08:37 PM
It is so funny, I have so many pups growing (probably water sprouts) that I'm starting to look at them like weeds. I fear they are sapping the strength of the mother plant. I think there are at lest 4 or 5 right now.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45971&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=45971&ppuser=8345)

tommyg
09-27-2011, 08:39 PM
That could be possible. But im not sure.

Tommyg

tmc2009
10-11-2011, 09:14 PM
I've only removed pups once so far. I think it was in the spring. I just hacked it off with a shovel and let the cut end dry out. I had an idea about dripping melted wax on the cut end, so I tried it. Can't say if it helped or hurt them. They both survived though. I think I have a SDC from ediblelandscaping. it didn't do too much this year for some reason. I didn't think you could over water a banana in the summer. Mine are always drying out between watering. Try improving drainage and amending soil to lighten it up. In my pots I put a bottom layer of pine bark nuggets.