Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I have an ensete glaucum and I wouldn't mind having a few more. Does any one know if you can chop them and destroy them like the ensete maurelii to get pups?
Or do you think this is another experiment that I should undertake in the interest of science? The plant is about a year old now.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I would really think about letting it fruit and then use the seeds, it's easier that way, isn't it?

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I would assume you could, the process should be the same. Allowing it to fruit and get seeds does seem safer. You just may have to pollinate it yourself, though.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I don't think ensete glaucum produce pups, or take kindley to being chopped up. I think the only ensete that may produce pups is ventricosum, but only mature ones.

But hey, they grow readily from seed so give it a go.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

That answers it, use winter protection if needed and wait for seeds, each 'banana' will be full of them.

Good luck germinating, but that's another thread ;)

Just do the stuff, as mother nature intended it to be done...

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Hey Sandy, give it a shot as you have a spare plant for it. Mine are all too small to experiment on. I find the E glaucum very easy to germinate and maybe as a result of its resilience it may just regenerate itself with pups. I am most eager to follow your progress.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

[quote=jmoore;62267]I don't think ensete glaucum produce pups, or take kindley to being chopped up. I think the only ensete that may produce pups is ventricosum, but only mature ones.


As a rule, no Ensete species produce pups unless induced to do so. The process that Sandy is asking about invloves chopping up the meristematic tissue, or growing point, thus inducing numerous growing points (pups) rather than the single growing point inherent to members of the Ensete genus. No plant would take kindly to this, but as evidenced by another post on the subject, it does work. One would still be taking a risk, I would think, as they could go overboard and completely destroy the growing point and get nothing but a mutilated banana for their efforts. So, in the immortal words of Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, ask yourself, "Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" It would be a cool experiment if you have an extra you're willing to experiment on. Please keep us posted on what you decide to do.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Go for it Sandy, if you kill it I'll send you one of mine (4months old now). It's in the interest of science!

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

In one word: No. It's been tried, and doesn't work on any other Ensete. Even E. gilletii, which some think is just a variety of E. ventricosum, doesn't respond to this treatment either. Heck, I can't even get E. ventricosum to do it.

Frank

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Interesting. I wonder why it wouldn't work on other Ensete species? This is exactly why I wouldn't try it unless I had a spare I was willing to sacrifice to the experiment.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Hey Frank, no harm in trying, rite? I guess the only harm is on the sacrificial victim. Then again.....in the interest of science...

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I'm going to put it into a bigger pot and let it get rooted in real good and try it this spring. Maybe this summer/fall. No reason to try it now when the plant is already stressed by growing it in Indiana where it's not supposed to be. But I am going to try it....so I'll let you know. Unless someone else wants to be brave and try it first.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Sandy, I now have all the 5 species - E galucum - E ventricosum - E superbum - E livingstonianum - E pererii - but they are still young as they were germinated by seed. Even after you do it, I will follow up on all 5 species. Let's see how they fare in the tropical climate here. Thanks for your E maurelli experiment and now this one.

It's worth a shot as they don't pup and sometimes the sds are not easy to come by.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Tog, you're missing one...

Or two, depending on what literature you read.

Frank

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Ya, at least E. homblei and E. gilletii, maybe? E. livingstonianum is listed as valid (along with many many invalid names) in the IPNI, but if you read up on the literature you will see it is quite obscure and the information that is known about it doesn't lead to anything spectacular. It will be interesting to see what these E. livingstonianum seeds grow up to be like. E. ventricosum is an extremely diverse species, with many different wild and cultivated forms, so its possible it could be one of those.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

And don't forget Ensete Montbeliardii Tog.

I have treid a couple of times with Glaucums and also plain Ventricosum, No luck with any of them. I was considering trying my Monty, But I only have two and they are fairly hard to find.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I always have such variable results in germinating seeds, even of these which are supposedly easy. One year, I have 20/100, next year, not a sprout. I can't figure it out. I thought maybe chopping them could turn out to be a more reliable way to get pups.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

I was actually referring to Ensete wilsonii, which is listed as a valid species in the Flora of China. And yes on the E. homblei. One of the more intriguing Ensetes, probably just because nobody has it yet, lol.

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Yo Frank, sorry my mistake, I meant all the 5 which have sds available in the market. Ensete homblei, slurp.. I have been after this one for a longtime. I asked Toby of rps and he said he has contacted someone in Zambia. Let's see what happens then. He is also on the track of the Ensete wilsonii too. Can't wait, jus can't wait!:ha:

Re: Can you chop ensete glaucum to get pups?
 

Yup, there are maybe 20 cultivated forms, not sure about the status of the wild forms. I'm trying to source some from the Ethiopians at the moment.it's like dealing with the Chinese..... we'll see.