Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

First of all, thanks to all of you who replied to my first post. What a nice "bunch" of people!

I hope by the time this thread appears, my first photograph is also sitting in my gallery. It's like learning a whole new language, this forum business - not for the technically challenged, no matter how green the thumb.

So last night, I scoured the archives for information on how to save my (somewhat costly) E. v. 'Maurelii'.

I have decuced that I have two options - please feel free to jump in if there are others.

1. Cut down the trunk and wait (hope) for it to push out new leaves.
2. Completely cut it down to the base. Follow this with a central incision across the diameter followed by cutting a 'v' shaped groove - followed by significant praying & patience.

I came across a series of photographs by a member who had done this successfully.

I tend to favour the second approach, if for no other reason because my plant is very wobbly at the base to begin with.

Before I opt for this decisive surgery, I have a couple of questions and would be very grateful for some feedback.

1. After cutting it right back and making the 'v' groove, what will be the plant's optimum requirements in terms of light/temperature/water/fertilizer? For instance, would it like to be in the dark or in bright light for an initial period?

2. The series of photos I viewed appeared to show a second 'v' groove being cut from the centre after a number of days had passed. Did I interpret this correctly? I assusmed the member simply removed dead tissue from the crown to allow more room, but I may be wrong.

3. In the faint hope that pups appear, should I then cover the crown & new shoots with more potting soil as happened in the series of photos? I also read that the poster was not so sure that this had been a good idea.

4. Perhaps a bit ahead of myself here, but again - in the faint hope that this procedure is successful, is it ok to leave all the pups in place and thereby grow a bushier plant, or should I divide them (not sure I could withstand the stress at that point!)

Thank you for taking the time to read. I fear it will be sometime before I have something worthwhile to add to this venerable group as far as bananas are concerned, but I am more than happy to offer up any other gardening advice as maybe needed. I have my own gardening business in Calgary, and whilst I'm new to bananas, I'm not half bad at most other aspects of gardening in a cold climate - clematis in particular.

Warm Regards

Gailey

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Ensete ventricosum will get less leggy if it gets more sun. Sounds like yours may need to get cut back, but on similar indoor ensete threads it was reccommended to place a small fan on it to strengthen it up, a fan on a appliance timer might be best, so it kicks on ever so often.
This is a really common problem with Ensete ventricosum when grown indoors, and summers approaching so don't dispair.
OR are you tring to cut it back to force it to pup? If not I'd only cut it back a little, not to the corm, but after seeing the picture of yours it's doesn't look to bad.

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Thank you for your response Tropicallvr.

I didn't especially want to cut it to the 'quick'. Although it doesn't look too bad in the photo, if I were to remove the rather large rocks at it's base it would probably be at 45 degrees. I just assumed that since it is so weak and floppy, it wouldn't be able to regain the strength to stand firm again. The leaves that I have already cut off bent off beyond repair, so it has definitely gotten sicker.

I suspected low ight may be an issue. Trouble is, it had gotten so tall, that was the only place with a high enough ceiling.

I'll remove the rocks and take another photo, to demonstrate it's real position.

I appreciate the help.

Regards

Gailey

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Gailey, good luck "Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii." I to am still a novice when it comes to bananas and don't have much to offer. :0518:

Dean

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Thanks for the encouragement Dean - mucho appreciated!

OK, took another photo having removed the rocks at it's base. It didn't lean as much as I thought it would or it was doing before I amputated the leaves. Hubby stood in the picture to give an idea of how far it was leaning. Although it doesn't look like a lot, there is a fair amount of 'play' in the stem. I've since sent hubby to look for the fan.

When I removed the rocks, I noticed baby centipedes running around. I guess if there are 'good guys' in the potting soil, there may well be bad guys there too. Difficult to tell without taking it out of the pot and having a good look at the roots.

BTW, over the winter I have watered it once a week or so, but I haven't given it any fertilizer (until today), because I wasn't anxious to encourage it to grow a lot taller. Was that the right thing to do? It did get a handful of granular organic fertilizer last Spring as well.

Should I have cut it back in the Fall?

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Has your plant been in that pot since you bought it?
You need to upgrade to a much larger pot if you are going to try and strengthen that one up and grow it out for another year.
I haven't done the slice and dice down to the corm yet but I have chopped a few Ensetes down significantly and they always came back....all except for one which I believe had some damage from a hard winter outside in wet conditions.
Keep us posted as to what you do with your's as we all secretly want to see more great photos of someone brave enough to try and force one to pup!
Jay:0497:

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Thanks Jay, good advice.

Here's my dilema - The spot where it is currently sitting has the combination of best height/light situation. Having said that, before it started to lean it had reached the ceiling. If I simply cut it down and re-pot it, which I am not adverse to, am I going to encounter the same problems all over again?

In other words, yes I want to save the plant, strengthen it and learn to love it like a lost son. It will have a great summer (when it finally arrives!) here in Calgary. If, however, it's more than 15 ft tall I'll have to give it away and all my efforts will be lost.

I also saw some pictures (Steve in France I think), of one that had been cut down and had pupped and it looked really attractive.

If it's simply a choice of height vs girth, I think girth will win out in the end (isn't that what all girls say!)

That's why I was anxious to be able to give it optimum conditions (light/temp/water/fert/pot size) if I choose to massacre it.

So much responsibility, so little time .....

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Sorry, in answer to your question - yes that is the pot it arrived in 12 months ago. Should I go 1 pot size bigger or larger still?

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Whenever I find centipedes I get rid of all the soil. I don't know what they do, but the Musa that I had some light brown colored ones was really sickly looking from them.
Another thing that might help is adding more soil to your pot to bring the soil line up a bit. This will help more roots from the edge of the corm to start growing and give the plant a better hold eventually.

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

THANKS


This will help with ones we just got from sandy.

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

I'd repot it and put it deeper in the pot. That should shore it up.

Re: Rejeuvenating Gailey's Ensete v. Maurelii
 

Thank you to all of you who have offered me advice. Since I last posted, I have contacted a colleague who is a professor of entomology about the centipede issue. He confirmed that they are strictly carnivores. So although they may not be eating away at Maurelii's roots, maybe there is some other critter in there that is.

He is very interested to meet the centipedes to see if they are native to this area or to see if they came in with the plant from somewhere far south of us here in Alberta.

So in the next little while, I am going to bring the poor thing downstairs, ready to go outside as soon as weather allows. I will re-pot him in clean potting mix and I think I will start by cutting him down part way, rather than the more drastic method also under consideration.

So that's plan A. If that doesn't work, then I will seriously consider slicing off the stem at the base and follow the steps carried out by another poster to this board.

I'll post again when I can put up some pictures.

Warm regards from chilly Calgary - where there is snow on the ground!