View Full Version : To Cut the Rachis or Not, That is the Question
Rhett
09-11-2009, 09:57 PM
Colleagues,
I've got a couple of small bunches on my ice cream and they are doing well. However, the rachis continues to grow, it continues to flower, but no more fruit is being formed. I've seen photos in the gallery like the ones I have.
While the flower is pretty neat should I cut the rachis and flower off in an effort to put more growth into the fruit?
Thanks ......... Rhett
bencelest
09-11-2009, 11:59 PM
yes. So the nutrients will go to the fruit.
Rhett
09-12-2009, 11:57 AM
Thanks for the advice. I'll take care of that tomorrow. It seemed like the thing to do but I wanted to make sure.
Rhett
I'm still considered a newbie but I believe I was told to wait until you have 8-10 inches before you cut. I guess it can die when you cut it and it will travel back up towards the bananas and sometimes the bottome bunches end up being affected and dying too...I think???? I don't usually answer ?'s because I'm NO EXPERT but I remember waiting to cut mine until it was 12 inches and I'm glad I did becasue it took a FULL 6 months for those naners and the bottom of the rachis did shrivel and die up a little. Anyway, I feel very cool answering a "technical" banana question. :) I hope I answered it correctly.
Jen
LilRaverBoi
09-12-2009, 12:57 PM
I'm still considered a newbie but I believe I was told to wait until you have 8-10 inches before you cut. I guess it can die when you cut it and it will travel back up towards the bananas and sometimes the bottome bunches end up being affected and dying too...I think????
Hmmm....very interesting. This sounds like 'retrograde degeneration' we learned about in neuroanatomy. Basically, when nerves are damaged, components of the dead tissue cause adjacent tissue to degenerate and die. So I would say this would at least make sense with bananas.
Rhett
09-13-2009, 06:48 PM
This sounds like 'retrograde degeneration' we learned about in neuroanatomy
I think the leap your trying to make is a little far. However, it is good to think things through in a logical fashion and use whatever background you have. In this situation, any soft tissued plant could easily develop "necrosis" and perhaps a local bacterial/fungal infection that might creep back up into normal tissue. Moisture and healthy tissue equal food for most organisms.
For what it is worth I left about 1 ft of rachis past the last group of fingers. If anything weird happens I'll post it.
By the way I really like your retinal image. Nice optic disc! :D
Bananaman88
09-14-2009, 09:02 AM
You should be fine if you left 1' between your cut and the fruit.
LilRaverBoi
09-14-2009, 09:45 AM
Well, it was really more of a comparison of concepts than an implied direct relation. I realize these situations are quite different, but it reminded me of retrograde degeneration. Sorry to get all nerdy on ya! :ha:
Rhett
09-14-2009, 09:04 PM
Let's get real nerdy. I think from a medical standpoint we would call the condition "necrotizing rachisitis". Sounds really bad when you use the lingo.:p
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2020, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.