Basjoo Sprouting Question

E Kern · 04-23-2013, 07:52 PM

My basjoo died back in the fall and as I last posted my two dogs ate to the ground what was left of the stalk. Right now I am seeing a sprout come up about two feet from where the old plant was. My question is; is this a possible sprout or do they tend to grow back in the same spot as the previous plant?

Illia · 04-23-2013, 08:40 PM

It's a sucker coming from the corm. Bananas are VERY tough plants, in that as long as the "bulb" like corm below isn't injured, they'll keep trying to grow back from it - Even if the plant above is completely obliterated. You'll find once a plant does grow happily that it will also send up more and new sucker shoots called "pups" which are pretty much whole new banana plants attached to the main original plant. With yours being so far away from the original spot, that's what you're seeing - a sucker coming up off the side of the corm underneath. Some varieties sprout up very close to the original spot, some far like yours.

JuniPerez · 04-24-2013, 03:53 PM

I find that if the stem is damaged too far down to the corm, it will send up pups instead of regrowing the main stem. I'd put something over them once they die back to protect from the dogs, or plant them deeper (if your dogs are diggers, the latter will be of no help). But they're very resilient bulbs... it'll send more pups around it, you'll soon see.

E Kern · 04-24-2013, 07:39 PM

Thanks for the input. Next time around I will be protecting the stem better. This year I didn't even have a chance. Dogs got to it first.

turtile · 04-27-2013, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E Kern

Thanks for the input. Next time around I will be protecting the stem better. This year I didn't even have a chance. Dogs got to it first.

The corm is the stem. As long as the corm isn't damaged, it can bring up new growth. (they are protected from the growth though)

What you see above the ground are just leaves.

04-23-2013, 07:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
E Kern Location: Suburban NY Zone: 7 Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 15,408 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Basjoo Sprouting Question My basjoo died back in the fall and as I last posted my two dogs ate to the ground what was left of the stalk. Right now I am seeing a sprout come up about two feet from where the old plant was. My question is; is this a possible sprout or do they tend to grow back in the same spot as the previous plant?

04-23-2013, 08:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
Illia Location: Forks, WA Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Illia Chavez Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 418 BananaBucks : 18,474 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 243 Times Was Thanked 311 Times in 202 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 117 Times	Re: Basjoo Sprouting Question It's a sucker coming from the corm. Bananas are VERY tough plants, in that as long as the "bulb" like corm below isn't injured, they'll keep trying to grow back from it - Even if the plant above is completely obliterated. You'll find once a plant does grow happily that it will also send up more and new sucker shoots called "pups" which are pretty much whole new banana plants attached to the main original plant. With yours being so far away from the original spot, that's what you're seeing - a sucker coming up off the side of the corm underneath. Some varieties sprout up very close to the original spot, some far like yours.

04-24-2013, 03:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
JuniPerez Puerto Rican Gone Bananas JuniPerez's Photo Gallery Location: Rochester, NY Find me on the map! Zone: 6b Name: Juni Perez Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 313 BananaBucks : 105,478 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 153 Times Was Thanked 202 Times in 117 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 13 Times	Re: Basjoo Sprouting Question I find that if the stem is damaged too far down to the corm, it will send up pups instead of regrowing the main stem. I'd put something over them once they die back to protect from the dogs, or plant them deeper (if your dogs are diggers, the latter will be of no help). But they're very resilient bulbs... it'll send more pups around it, you'll soon see.

04-24-2013, 07:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
E Kern Location: Suburban NY Zone: 7 Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 15,408 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Basjoo Sprouting Question Thanks for the input. Next time around I will be protecting the stem better. This year I didn't even have a chance. Dogs got to it first.

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