Sword Sucker?
 

Hello all,

I recently learned that not all suckers are created equal. Is this a sword sucker? Or a water sucker? It initially started with slender looking leaves but as you can see it’s now growing and not sure if I should leave it, or get rid of it.

Any info on this is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Joe

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

sword suuuucker.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

I see two banana plants in the pot. The smaller of the two I would classify as a water sucker in my patch.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

In my book a sucker is a sucker.. lol

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

you can separate it and have another plant cut downwards on an angle towards the mother plant to get some corm attached

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

Thanks for your replies. There are 3 other suckers in this pot. I wish I could keep them all but I have too many plants already.

Sorry for the poor quality pics. I’m still leaning how to upload photos.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

from what i have gleaned in the time i have been here it does not matter what kind of sucker you have.

spear suckers are from a healthy plant. the other is from a distressed plant. i have seen no difference with my limited experience between them, with later growth to be an adult plant. with my limited experience....

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

I completely agree with Beam about sword suckers coming from healthy plants.

However I want to add that sword suckers still attached to the mother plant grow way faster and have bigger corms because of that same point.
I have also noticed that existing water pups will remain slow growing even if the mother plant becomes healthy and vigorous.

My Dwarf Cavendish mat is doing extremely well this year. The new mother plants are very happy and green even in extreme heat.
Just in the past 2 weeks they put out ELEVEN pups - all sword suckers.



My Dwarf Plantain mat is also very happy this year.
It just recently put out 4 sword suckers.
The small water sucker on the right has been there since last year and has not grown much even after the mat started becoming vigorous this year.
The sword sucker growing directly next to it just came out and it's already bigger.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

Valor,

Great pics…I can definitely see the difference between the two suckers.

My two banana plants that are potted have put out at least 4-5 suckers each about 2 inches at this point. This area experience a heat wave that lasted two weeks with multiple 100 degrees days in each week. Some leaves scorched and some began yellowing. And soon after that the suckers began to pop up.

Both plants have recovered and are putting out new green leaves about one per week, however, it appears to me that they are not growing of getting taller.

Could the heat stress and maybe the lack of water cause the mother plants to put out the suckers and maybe even stunt their growth?


Thanks for the pics and your reply.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

Yes I'm very familiar with extreme heat here in Southern Texas.
We've had near 100F since May with little to no rain at all.
My property has zero natural shade. Full sun all day.

From my experience young plants absolutely get stunted. Even my grass stops growing at 100F.
You need to get creative... you're growing in a container so it can be as simple as moving next to the house where it gets full sun only half the day.

Once they get deep rooted and mature they can tolerate the heat here and still grow. Mother plants help shade the pups and as the mat gets bigger that effect is compounded.

I've been using shade nets to help establish young plants and help them grow.
I just set this up last week for my smaller plants.


Also remember to fertilize!!

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

valor; next time you build boxes; lowes sells a stain made by VALSPAR, this particular stain is 6 year, SEMI transparent stain sold in clear, red and cedar.

i have used it for 20 years. it will make your boxes last 8/10 years fully coated. do not use clear, in our sun and heat the clear is next to crap. the cedar to me is the best and when dries the nicest looking.

the shade cloth will do wonders for the pups, you will be able to tell the difference almost immediately. good going.

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

the first picture was from last night. the second picture is this morning.

these pics are of a monthan from growing bananas from homestead fl.

if you look closely, this morning the water sucker is producing a new cigar leaf.

and if you look real close there is a second water sucker coming up underneath the leaf of the plant on the left in the second pic.

i replanted the monthan 2 months ago. i believe i have some happy water suckers.

click on the thumb nails for a larger picture

Re: Sword Sucker?
 

Thanks Beam I'll keep that in mind