Musa Sikkimemsis red tiger
 

Hello,
I have a few questions regarding the Musa Sikkimemsis red tiger Darjeeling ::


- are the beautiful red stripes common on the leaves?

- how long should I soak the seeds before planting?

- how tall will they get, can I control the height by cutting it back?

Please feel free to share more info on this variety, thank you!

Re: Musa Sikkimemsis red tiger
 

I haven't grown 'Red Tiger', just straight sikkimensis so I will answer as best I can based on my experience with that plant.

yes, stripes are common on younger leaves, they do fade away though as the leaf matures.

See seed germination forum for info on germinating seeds Banana Seed Germination Forum - Bananas.org - sikkimensis has proven very difficult for me but maybe bad seed

they can get quite tall, however cutting them back I think might defeat the purpose because you would have to cut off a lot of their leaves as well, which would certainly affect the appearance and because this is really an ornamental banana, what would be the point. If you are worried about its size, keep it in an appropriate sized pot which will limit its growth.

Having said that, you could selectively prune out the main stem or pups once they get too big as long as you have smaller pups to serve the purpose you are interested in. Haven't tried that but it might work.

Good luck and have fun!

Re: Musa Sikkimemsis red tiger
 

Hello,
I am looking for the same information. Thanks for the valuable advice!

Re: Musa Sikkimemsis red tiger
 

Hi, I have the same concern and thank you for this comment. It helps me a lot.