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.
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.
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