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View Full Version : cut down/leave main trunk, cut out/leave pups


OCBLUE
01-09-2020, 06:00 PM
Hi all, Thanks for the input on my last question. I have a new question, or two.

I watched the following video. I found it informative, and enjoyable. He mentions removing pups, harvesting the bananas, and cutting down the main trunk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hivXPGOErPU

Here is the description of the guy who posted the video:

Charles Malki, Biologist & Plant Expert from http://ivorganics.com/ teaches many lessons on banana care; including, harvesting, pruning, fertilizing, propagating and recycling garden waste! In this video we will harvest 'Ice Cream' (Blue Java) Bananas, as well as view an 'Apple' and 'GoldFinger' variety banana plants.


I felt that i learned a lot. Yet, one of the first comments was from someone who corrected (or if not corrected, added his own opinion about removing the main trunk).

I am very curious, if you have time to watch the video, what your thoughts are? And, if you don't watch the video, but read the comment below, what your thoughts are?

here is the comment from (what appears to be a learned banana expert).

One big tip that I can give you after growing bananas for more then 20 years and have a B.Sc in Plant Science, When the "Mother Banana Plant' has finished producing the fruit, Cutting it down its the worst mistake you
can do, Since its trunk is its whole "life Savings" Its giving all its nutrients stored inside its trunk back to the Pups, So they grow much larger then they will grow if you will cut it down, Also when you keep the mother plant, the pups will produce larger amounts of fruits, and the fruits will be bigger, since they will be well Nurished, So what you should do, Is to let the "Mother plant" dry out slowly on its own, if your plants are getting a good treatment it may take more then 6 months for the mother plant to dry out if its drying process is much faster it means usually that you may need to water the plants more or fertilize the soil more often, In the "Mother Plant" Maintenance after removing the fruits, you just need to remove dry leafs, as long as the leafs are vital and green don't remove them ! , Try it out and i will love to hear what will be the results after trying what I told you"

The above was the suggestion to the guy with the youtube video.

What say you experts?

Thanks

pitangadiego
01-09-2020, 09:48 PM
I never cut down the pseudostem until at least all of the leaves have dried out, and even then usually not til the pseudostem has stopped being firm and green. As long as there are leaves, there is photosynthetic activity to drive the pups, and the possibility of the nutrients being recycled from the pseudostem into the pups.