View Full Version : Help with pruning
jooonbug
08-21-2013, 02:35 PM
Hello!
I recently bought a home in Tustin, CA. Among the trees planted by the previous owner is a banana tree. I believe it's a "burro" banana.
From what I've been able to gather, the plant has not been properly pruned; there are about six large stalks all growing out of the same root mass:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=54295&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=54295)
I covet your advice on what exactly to do with this monster. In this gallery, I posted close up shots of the stalks from the North, East and South:
Banana Gallery - Banana (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=2272)
Forgive the blueish-green tint! Let me know if if more information/pictures would be helpful.
raygrogan
08-21-2013, 05:05 PM
No comment on WHAT to prune, but once you decide the favorite tool amongst many banana patchers is a cordless reciprocating saw.
momoese
08-21-2013, 05:12 PM
You want to remove any plants that are close to the fence or leaning your neighbors way. Mat/stand management is a personal preference. After letting some mats go wild I learned the hard way the importance of management. Now I like to have 3-4 plants per mat and they stagger in size so they don't all flower at the time.
jooonbug
08-21-2013, 05:15 PM
No comment on WHAT to prune, but once you decide the favorite tool amongst many banana patchers is a cordless reciprocating saw.
I was thinking to use my machete :)
caliboy1994
08-21-2013, 05:49 PM
To remove all those large pups a machete is not nearly enough. Banana corms are tough. You're going to need an iron digging bar and possibly a sharp shovel.
Abnshrek
08-21-2013, 05:50 PM
To remove all those large pups a machete is not nearly enough. Banana corms are tough. You're going to need an iron digging bar and possibly a sharp shovel.
And a wheel Barrel, or Bobcat.. or this comes to mind.. :^)
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r698/Bucko13f/Desuckering060813_zpsa165c96f.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/Bucko13f/media/Desuckering060813_zpsa165c96f.jpg.html)
PR-Giants
08-21-2013, 07:14 PM
You can also use both hands and just pick'em up and carry'em.
A machete works perfectly.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=53232 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=53232)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=53038 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=53038)
And a wheel Barrel, or Bobcat.. or this comes to mind.. :^)
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r698/Bucko13f/Desuckering060813_zpsa165c96f.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/Bucko13f/media/Desuckering060813_zpsa165c96f.jpg.html)
jooonbug
08-21-2013, 07:32 PM
What's the advantage to removing the entire plant (e.g. including the corm) vs just chopping the stem off at its base?
PR-Giants
08-21-2013, 07:36 PM
What's the advantage to removing the entire plant (e.g. including the corm) vs just chopping the stem off at its base?
Bananas
jooonbug
08-21-2013, 08:14 PM
could you expand a little on your very concise answer? :-D
PR-Giants
08-21-2013, 08:39 PM
moving the entire plant will give you bananas
chopping the stem off at its base will give you a dead stem - no bananas
I'm not sure which is better, having Orinocos or not having Orinocos. :ha:
sunfish
08-21-2013, 08:55 PM
You can cut them off at the base but they could grow back and new plants will grow off the corm.
You can dig up the corm and stem and plant in another area if you want more fruit
You can chop the stem off and dig out the corm
You can chop off the stem and gouge out the growing point so it will not grow back\
:)
Just go ahead and chop down any you don't want.Final answer
jooonbug
08-22-2013, 04:06 PM
Thanks for the advice everyone. The reason I asked is because I've read elsewhere that having multiple large stalks will reduce the quality of the fruit. Since that idea has been rejected (implicitly here and explicitly in a private message) I'll go on my merry way!
As for pruning off yellow leaves, is there anything objectionable about how this guy does it:
trimming a bananna tree - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKsKMdM6rt4)
sunfish
08-22-2013, 04:35 PM
The only thing I found objectionable was Bird of paradises
sloot95
08-23-2013, 08:14 AM
the pstems are amazingly soft and easy to cut through. I would not use a stanley knife and cut them like that you would easily cut into the next layer doing damage. I just use good scissors and cut the leaf off at the base of the petiole it keeps them looking fairly tidy.
Hammocked Banana
08-23-2013, 01:17 PM
The only thing I found objectionable was Bird of paradises
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