Mills23

I have my bananas planted around a above ground pool, I have weed barrier cloth with mulch on top of it around the bottoms. My question is how much of that do I need to remove to give the pups room to sprout?

Akula

I originally planted my plants (namwa and raja puri) in March of 2017 and all my pups came up within a foot of the original plant to date. I imagine that the pups will spread out over time as the corn expands if it is not pruned/trimmed back.

I don't use landscape cloth but based on my patch (namwa) to date I would figure a foot for the original pstem and then a foot of clearance around it would provide a total circle cutout of 3 feet in diameter. That would contain the three-plant groupings (original plus two followers) in my patch to date. You might get away with a bit less depending on how active you manage the pups, pup placement, type of banana plant (footprint), etc.

I haven't really seen the need for landscape cloth in my patch. The mulch pretty much keeps all the weeds under control. I cut and bag my lawn grass and throw the clippings on the patch all summer. Only the pups push through the clippings. The lawn grass tries to send runners into the patch but I just pull them out a couple times a season and use them to patch weak spots in my yard.

Good luck!

Mills23

So the pups will come up thru mulch? I have the musa basjoo (im pretty sure I spelled that wrong)

Akula

I don't know what you are using for mulch but they will push up through shaved bark, grass clippings, oak leaves, etc. without any problem. Basjoo get pretty big like namwa.

I spaced my original plants six feet apart. Don't plant the original plants too close together.

Mills23

Its just regular wood chips that come in a bag. Mine are planted probably 12 feet apart.

SixtySix

They won't have any problem coming up through shredded hardwood mulch.