View Full Version : Old corms
caliboy1994
11-28-2011, 10:31 PM
I just got my new Mysore plant, and it has some old corms on it. They're taking up so much room that the tiny 5 gallon pot it's in is bulging! I want to remove them because they are taking up space. Should I remove the corms and see if I can get some growth on them? Or would it be better to leave them on the plant? And I shouldn't have any problem repotting my plant into a 25 gal right now, right?
It's dark right now, and here's the best picture of them that I could get:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=47007&size=1
There are two of them, a large one (maybe about 6 inches wide) and a smaller one between the large one and the corm with the main p-stem on it. Just keep in mind that I'm new to this, and I don't want to mess up my plant by trying to remove the corms and accidentally causing damage.
sunfish
11-28-2011, 10:48 PM
I wouldn't separate any this time of year.Re-pot without disturbing the root ball
caliboy1994
11-28-2011, 10:55 PM
Will do. Unfortunately, I can't get to that during the week, but I might have time on the weekend. Hopefully we don't get more wind!
pitangadiego
11-29-2011, 12:05 AM
Repot in a bigger pot.
caliboy1994
11-29-2011, 12:38 AM
Repot in a bigger pot.
Good thing I have a 25 gallon pot handy. Will do this weekend when I have time.
venturabananas
11-29-2011, 01:57 AM
I'd play it safe and only repot into a 15 gallon. The roots will be less likely to rot that way because it'll be easier for them to dry out the smaller volume of soil. "Overpotting" can cause problems. Trust me, that's another lesson I learned the hard way. Be sure to repot into a good, gritty mixture that drains well. I use a bunch of pumice mixed with cactus mix and some compost. Be sure to use either quite a bit of pumice or perlite. I prefer pumice because it is heavier and anchors the plant better.
caliboy1994
11-29-2011, 02:00 AM
I'll get my hands on a 15 gallon pot. I was planning on planting it in cactus soil with perlite mixed in anyways. Oh, and I just want to point out that the p-stem is already around 5 feet high! I'll make sure to get some good pictures soon, hopefully tomorrow.
Olafhenny
11-29-2011, 07:43 PM
I'd play it safe and only repot into a 15 gallon. The roots will be less likely to rot that way because it'll be easier for them to dry out the smaller volume of soil. "Overpotting" can cause problems. Trust me, that's another lesson I learned the hard way. Be sure to repot into a good, gritty mixture that drains well. I use a bunch of pumice mixed with cactus mix and some compost. Be sure to use either quite a bit of pumice or perlite. I prefer pumice because it is heavier and anchors the plant better.
I cannot believe the ongoing concerns about root rot in this forum. And now it is even the "pot size", which causes it. :)
There is only one reason you will have root rot and that is because the roots are standing in water . And
that is caused by soil, that is too loamy, and/or water not draining through the bottom of the pot.
When you plant the banana out in the ground in spring, how many "gallons" has that "pot"???
How many gallons has every banana plant available in the tropics???
I brought this Ornata in on about October 12 after re-potting it in a container, which many here would term too big
(35 liters/9.5 gal) for such a little plant.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=47038 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=47038&ppuser=7269)
Everything above the white cut line has grown since then without artificial light and with plenty of water.
I water it whenever the top 1/2 inch is dryish.
If you still think, that either the pot is too big or that I water too much, I challenge you to produce a picture
of a healthier looking potted banana.
If you think you would like to have similar success, then you may want to look up in more detail, what I did
here: http://www.bananas.org/f311/need-advice-grow-banana-plant-indoors-14608.html#post178248
bananimal
11-29-2011, 08:07 PM
In response to 1st post. To save space and still get "juice" from a previous corm I would cut away all the old corms and leave the one that the pup is attached to. No need for a much bigger pot.
Olafhenny
11-29-2011, 08:34 PM
In response to 1st post. To save space and still get "juice" from a previous corm I would cut away
all the old corms and leave the one that the pup is attached to. No need for a much bigger pot.
This is obviously my day to disagree. :) If the old corms are more than just a bit shrivelled, you may want to do that,
but I wouldn’t, unless they show signs of rot. There is a lot of life force in those corms, which will assist in supporting
any PS or pups connected to them.
To Andreas,
If you do not need that 25gal pot for anything bigger, then use it. I approach things like this: If I were a
banana, what would I prefer, - elbow- (root) room or being jammed into a small pot.
Would I choose feeling transferred into a desert or would I favour being repatriated into something closer to my
home environment: Warm, humid and with the occasional downpour thrown into the mix?
Whatever you decide,
good luck!
Olaf
Darkman
11-29-2011, 09:22 PM
I think that a combination of factors are to blame for root rot. The obvious is the water content of the medium that the plant is in. The other is light intensity which is necesssary for the plant to produce growth. One other that I feel is very important is the temperature both of the air and the planting medium.
I personally believe that you need at least two sizes larger than what you would think for the very reason stated earlier. The corm will quickly out grow a pot of normal size. I plant almost everything into pine bark compost which is amended with peat moss (the ground dry type) and a slow release fertilizer. I have never had anything rot in this provided light and temperature were right. I also don't think it would matter if I planted in a 100 gallon pot other than it would be real heavy to move AND I'd have to use more water to keep it happy!
caliboy1994
11-29-2011, 09:36 PM
I'm going to plant it in cactus soil with plenty of perlite or pumice mixed in, and keep it like that over the winter until I plant it in the ground in early April or maybe late March. I'm not going to water it very often over the winter, the rain will probably do the job just fine, so root rot shouldn't be an issue. My main concern is wind, but I have it in a sheltered location right now, and it has only suffered a small amount of leaf shredding so far. I guess I can remove the corms before I plant it in the spring. Thanks for all the feedback! :D
Olafhenny
11-29-2011, 10:06 PM
...The other is light intensity which is necessary for the plant to produce growth.
I have addressed the "light" issue in the thread referred to in the my post below, the one with the photo. My plant is
still growing at a number of daylight hours in Penticton BC, Canada (8 hrs 30 min), less than in Portland OR at the
shortest day of the year (8 hrs 42 min), with no artificial light.
Accordingly light should not be an issue almost anywhere in the lower 49 as long as you have a bright south facing
window. - At least not for Ornatas.
I can appreciate your concerns about the weight of large pots, but in your climate, if the plants are that large,
why not plant them in the ground?
That is where my Basjoos are even here in the frigid north.
caliboy1994
11-29-2011, 10:15 PM
I can appreciate your concerns about the weight of large pots, but in your climate, if the plants are that large,
why not plant them in the ground?
I know that I am very fortunate to live in a nice climate, but Southern California does have its difficulties. The main problem for bananas is that the winters are cool and wet, making it easy for them to rot. The other problem is wind. Winds in my area can get over 70 mph during wind season, which is fall through spring. We've already had a wind gust of over 90 mph here this year! I'm afraid that it won't have enough time to establish a strong root system in this cold weather so that it won't be blown over by the winds. I'd be better off planting them in April when things start to warm up. By then, it should have warmed up enough for it to be able to grow faster.
Darkman
11-29-2011, 10:21 PM
I know that I am very fortunate to live in a nice climate, but Southern California does have its difficulties. The main problem for bananas is that the winters are cool and wet, making it easy for them to rot. The other problem is wind. Winds in my area can get over 70 mph during wind season, which is fall through spring. We've already had a wind gust of over 90 mph here this year! I'm afraid that it won't have enough time to establish a strong root system in this cold weather so that it won't be blown over by the winds. I'd be better off planting them in April when things start to warm up. By then, it should have warmed up enough for it to be able to grow faster.
My concerns also is that when I receive a plant late in the season I'd rather pot it and plant it out in the spring.
Olafhenny
11-29-2011, 10:34 PM
I know that I am very fortunate to live in a nice climate, but Southern California does have its difficulties. The main problem for bananas is that the winters are cool and wet, making it easy for them to rot. The other problem is wind. Winds in my area can get over 70 mph during wind season, which is fall through spring. We've already had a wind gust of over 90 mph here this year! I'm afraid that it won't have enough time to establish a strong root system in this cold weather so that it won't be blown over by the winds. I'd be better off planting them in April when things start to warm up. By then, it should have warmed up enough for it to be able to grow faster.
I am clearly out of my depth, when it comes to Southern California experience and I see, that you have
good reasons for not planting them in the ground (providing you have a wind protected area for the pot) :)
caliboy1994
11-29-2011, 10:40 PM
I put it right next to some hibiscus at the corner of my house. It's been so windy lately and the leaves only have a few tears on them.
venturabananas
11-30-2011, 02:45 AM
Olaf, a banana living outdoors during winter in Southern California will barely grow. The temperatures are too low for these tropical plants. Under those conditions, and especially if the soil is wet (e.g., from our winter rains), the roots and corm are at great risk of rotting. Trust me, it happened to some of my bananas last winter. In the tropics, or in simulated tropical conditions in your house, where the bananas are always actively growing, too much water, pot size, drainage, are much less of an issue.
caliboy1994
11-30-2011, 11:53 AM
Right. That's why I don't want to plant it in the ground right now, especially with the layer of clay in my soil that might hold water. I don't want that plant to rot.
caliboy1994
05-07-2012, 07:07 PM
Now that Spring is finally here I'm thinking about taking one of the corms off of that plant. The one I'm thinking about removing is far away from the pup that's now actively growing on the mat. Would it be wise to remove it when the pup is still getting established? Should I wait?
bananimal
05-07-2012, 08:02 PM
How about a pic of the mat.
caliboy1994
05-07-2012, 08:16 PM
I'll get that tomorrow. I'm busy studying for a test right now.
caliboy1994
05-07-2012, 09:39 PM
I actually managed to get a picture before it got too dark. This is the corm that the stem just rotted off of, I believe there are three corms in the mat total, one of which is sprouting a pup.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=48732&size=1
Nicolas Naranja
05-07-2012, 10:33 PM
You shouldn't have any issue as long as you don't disturb the roots too much.
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