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View Full Version : A dilemna: Two large pseudostems, one corm


bigdog
11-03-2005, 12:05 PM
This is the kind of thing that those of us in colder climates have to deal with. This is one mother corm, with two large pseudostems attached to it. They are both about 8 feet tall, and represent one season's growth from a mother corm. The mother p-stem fruited this year and was chopped down. Just for fun (?), or sheer boredom perhaps, I decided to clean the corm of all roots and dirt to get a better look at it.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=275&size=1

It it very difficult to move like this! I was afraid that I was going to break one of them off by dragging it up this little hill. One or both of these p-stems should fruit next year, if left on the mother corm. Should I just make a cut right down the middle of the corm, or give most of the corm to one or the other?

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=276&size=1

Obviously, it won't fit through the crawl space in this shape. Man, I really need a basement and a dolly!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=277&size=1

momoese
11-03-2005, 01:51 PM
How about cutting off both of the large pups leaving enough of the mother corm on each to survive, and then you will also still have the mother corm for more pups next season.

bigdog
11-03-2005, 02:06 PM
That's probably what I'm going to do. I just wish I could leave them both on the corm! I figured the best thing to do would be to get the saw out and cut the mother corm right in half. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Bananavilla
11-03-2005, 11:40 PM
I vote right down the middle.
Mike

pitangadiego
11-04-2005, 09:52 PM
Separate the two trunks. They have their own corm at the base of theie trunks. Remove the smaller pup and pot it. Then you can divide the mother corm, into 4 or 5 pieces, somewhat like a potato, so the each "eye" or potential pup has a piece, and then plant those as well.

Southern-Grower
11-05-2005, 12:00 PM
frank,

these are the ones i posted about earlier this year..

when i let them get to that size and split the corm, they produced smaller in size and bunches of fruit..

i came to the conclusion that i don't need to let them get that big, before removing them.

3 plants, 3 crappy fruits and bunches..
i think that they don't have time to form their own nice full corm before fruiting.. thus making smaller bunches..

this is what i saw here, fluke ? dono

but i won't let them do that again though..

hmm after second look @ pic.. may consider letting them fruit on same corm.. as they don't seem to have their own as of yet.. looks like their piggy tailing off mother corm..

bigdog
11-05-2005, 01:16 PM
While they each do have their own corm, it is still not very big. And they might both fruit next year. I went ahead and cut the mama right down the middle, just because I can't store it like it is due to the crawl space door not being big enough (and I can't imagine trying to move it underneath the house like that). I want fast growth and big bunches! :D

I left the pup attached as well. By removing it, I would be waiting until 2008 for fruit from it. This way, maybe 2007.