Help with pruning

jooonbug · 08-21-2013, 02:35 PM

Hello!

I recently bought a home in Tustin, CA. Among the trees planted by the previous owner is a banana tree. I believe it's a "burro" banana.

From what I've been able to gather, the plant has not been properly pruned; there are about six large stalks all growing out of the same root mass:

I covet your advice on what exactly to do with this monster. In this gallery, I posted close up shots of the stalks from the North, East and South:

Banana Gallery - Banana

Forgive the blueish-green tint! Let me know if if more information/pictures would be helpful.

raygrogan · 08-21-2013, 05:05 PM

No comment on WHAT to prune, but once you decide the favorite tool amongst many banana patchers is a cordless reciprocating saw.

momoese · 08-21-2013, 05:12 PM

You want to remove any plants that are close to the fence or leaning your neighbors way. Mat/stand management is a personal preference. After letting some mats go wild I learned the hard way the importance of management. Now I like to have 3-4 plants per mat and they stagger in size so they don't all flower at the time.

jooonbug · 08-21-2013, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raygrogan

No comment on WHAT to prune, but once you decide the favorite tool amongst many banana patchers is a cordless reciprocating saw.

I was thinking to use my machete

caliboy1994 · 08-21-2013, 05:49 PM

To remove all those large pups a machete is not nearly enough. Banana corms are tough. You're going to need an iron digging bar and possibly a sharp shovel.

Abnshrek · 08-21-2013, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caliboy1994

To remove all those large pups a machete is not nearly enough. Banana corms are tough. You're going to need an iron digging bar and possibly a sharp shovel.

And a wheel Barrel, or Bobcat.. or this comes to mind.. :^)

PR-Giants · 08-21-2013, 07:14 PM

You can also use both hands and just pick'em up and carry'em.

A machete works perfectly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnshrek

And a wheel Barrel, or Bobcat.. or this comes to mind.. :^)

jooonbug · 08-21-2013, 07:32 PM

What's the advantage to removing the entire plant (e.g. including the corm) vs just chopping the stem off at its base?

PR-Giants · 08-21-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jooonbug

What's the advantage to removing the entire plant (e.g. including the corm) vs just chopping the stem off at its base?

Bananas

jooonbug · 08-21-2013, 08:14 PM

could you expand a little on your very concise answer? :-D

PR-Giants · 08-21-2013, 08:39 PM

moving the entire plant will give you bananas

chopping the stem off at its base will give you a dead stem - no bananas

I'm not sure which is better, having Orinocos or not having Orinocos.

sunfish · 08-21-2013, 08:55 PM

You can cut them off at the base but they could grow back and new plants will grow off the corm.
You can dig up the corm and stem and plant in another area if you want more fruit
You can chop the stem off and dig out the corm
You can chop off the stem and gouge out the growing point so it will not grow back\

Just go ahead and chop down any you don't want.Final answer

jooonbug · 08-22-2013, 04:06 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. The reason I asked is because I've read elsewhere that having multiple large stalks will reduce the quality of the fruit. Since that idea has been rejected (implicitly here and explicitly in a private message) I'll go on my merry way!

As for pruning off yellow leaves, is there anything objectionable about how this guy does it:

trimming a bananna tree - YouTube

sunfish · 08-22-2013, 04:35 PM

The only thing I found objectionable was Bird of paradises

sloot95 · 08-23-2013, 08:14 AM

the pstems are amazingly soft and easy to cut through. I would not use a stanley knife and cut them like that you would easily cut into the next layer doing damage. I just use good scissors and cut the leaf off at the base of the petiole it keeps them looking fairly tidy.

Hammocked Banana · 08-23-2013, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish

The only thing I found objectionable was Bird of paradises

We need a dislike button!!

08-21-2013, 02:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
jooonbug Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 20 BananaBucks : 7,717 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Help with pruning Hello! I recently bought a home in Tustin, CA. Among the trees planted by the previous owner is a banana tree. I believe it's a "burro" banana. From what I've been able to gather, the plant has not been properly pruned; there are about six large stalks all growing out of the same root mass: I covet your advice on what exactly to do with this monster. In this gallery, I posted close up shots of the stalks from the North, East and South: Banana Gallery - Banana Forgive the blueish-green tint! Let me know if if more information/pictures would be helpful.

08-21-2013, 05:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
raygrogan raygrogan's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 250 BananaBucks : 10,336 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 125 Times Was Thanked 314 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 17 Times	Re: Help with pruning No comment on WHAT to prune, but once you decide the favorite tool amongst many banana patchers is a cordless reciprocating saw.

08-21-2013, 05:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,583 BananaBucks : 6,980 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,740 Times Was Thanked 10,861 Times in 3,303 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 725 Times	Re: Help with pruning You want to remove any plants that are close to the fence or leaning your neighbors way. Mat/stand management is a personal preference. After letting some mats go wild I learned the hard way the importance of management. Now I like to have 3-4 plants per mat and they stagger in size so they don't all flower at the time.

08-21-2013, 05:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;">Just an agroecology nerd</div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: Granada Hills, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,298 BananaBucks : 237,894 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,472 Times Was Thanked 2,177 Times in 1,145 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: Help with pruning To remove all those large pups a machete is not nearly enough. Banana corms are tough. You're going to need an iron digging bar and possibly a sharp shovel. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

08-21-2013, 07:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
jooonbug Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 20 BananaBucks : 7,717 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Help with pruning What's the advantage to removing the entire plant (e.g. including the corm) vs just chopping the stem off at its base?

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08-21-2013, 08:14 PM	#10 (permalink)
jooonbug Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 20 BananaBucks : 7,717 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Help with pruning could you expand a little on your very concise answer? :-D

08-21-2013, 08:39 PM	#11 (permalink)
PR-Giants Commercial Grower Location: Florida & Greater Antilles Find me on the map! Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 4,475 BananaBucks : 336 Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,885 Times Was Thanked 12,216 Times in 3,548 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,171 Times	Re: Help with pruning moving the entire plant will give you bananas chopping the stem off at its base will give you a dead stem - no bananas I'm not sure which is better, having Orinocos or not having Orinocos. __________________ PR-Giants Photo Gallery 15,000+ Varieties

08-21-2013, 08:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 871,544 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Help with pruning You can cut them off at the base but they could grow back and new plants will grow off the corm. You can dig up the corm and stem and plant in another area if you want more fruit You can chop the stem off and dig out the corm You can chop off the stem and gouge out the growing point so it will not grow back\ Just go ahead and chop down any you don't want.Final answer Last edited by sunfish : 08-21-2013 at 09:07 PM.

08-22-2013, 04:35 PM	#14 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 871,544 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Help with pruning The only thing I found objectionable was Bird of paradises

08-23-2013, 08:14 AM	#15 (permalink)
sloot95 Location: Australia, Townsville Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 86 BananaBucks : 14,909 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 47 Times Was Thanked 71 Times in 27 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Help with pruning the pstems are amazingly soft and easy to cut through. I would not use a stanley knife and cut them like that you would easily cut into the next layer doing damage. I just use good scissors and cut the leaf off at the base of the petiole it keeps them looking fairly tidy.

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