I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers

PR-Giants · 03-27-2025, 07:41 AM

I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers and they had very large rhizomes, which is fairly uncommon.

On 12/29/24 I found this water sucker

I went back a couple days ago and there were three more beautiful water suckers so I dug up all four and brought the mother plant back for propagation.

Jeff zone 8 N.C. · 03-27-2025, 08:43 AM

What do think caused the bigger than normal rhizomes?

PR-Giants · 03-27-2025, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff zone 8 N.C.

What do think caused the bigger than normal rhizomes?

I don't know but I can explain what I observed. They initially appeared that they would have been normal sword suckers but because of the overcrowding caused by some older and higher up sword suckers, these pups were forced to reduce their girth to fit through. The reduced girth in that section reduced it's connection to the mother plant causing it to become a water sucker. Why the rhizomes enlarged again is above my pay grade.

Jeff zone 8 N.C. · 03-27-2025, 02:05 PM

Sounds like natural "vertical propagation" by the plants "raising" their growing point. Does not explain the increased girth though.

PR-Giants · 03-27-2025, 08:42 PM

These water suckers are perfect for vertical propagation. First, I need to get them rooted and then I'll remove most of the rhizome and start raising the soil level. The rhizome it currently has isn't good for propagation and it will be discarded. The new rhizome will eventually be loaded with plenty of leaf scars which is where the new offshoots will be produced.

PR-Giants · 03-28-2025, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

The new rhizome will eventually be loaded with plenty of leaf scars which is where the new offshoots will be produced.

New offshoots are produced between the leaf scars.

The ten offshoots in the photo below were formed directly above a single leaf scar.

Tracking variegation

When an all green plant produces a random variegated leaf, or

when a variegated plant produces a highly variegated leaf,

that variegation can be tracked from the leaf through the leaf stem down the leaf sheath directly to the leaf scar to where the variegated tissue is on the rhizome.

PR-Giants · 03-31-2025, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

... brought the mother plant back for propagation.

And she has already activated a small pup.

There are many reasons why I prefer working with small variegated pups.

First, a mother plant can produce many more small pups than large ones.

Second is root location which is often overlooked, is very important with the large variegated rhizomes but insignificant with the small ones.

03-27-2025, 07:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
PR-Giants Commercial Grower Location: Florida & Greater Antilles Find me on the map! Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 4,721 BananaBucks : 4,912 Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,959 Times Was Thanked 12,904 Times in 3,790 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,225 Times	I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers and they had very large rhizomes, which is fairly uncommon. On 12/29/24 I found this water sucker I went back a couple days ago and there were three more beautiful water suckers so I dug up all four and brought the mother plant back for propagation. __________________ PR-Giants Photo Gallery 15,000+ Varieties

03-27-2025, 08:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jeff zone 8 N.C. Junior Member Find me on the map! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 253 BananaBucks : 9,444 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 601 Times Was Thanked 495 Times in 227 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 26 Times	Re: I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers What do think caused the bigger than normal rhizomes?

03-27-2025, 02:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jeff zone 8 N.C. Junior Member Find me on the map! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 253 BananaBucks : 9,444 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 601 Times Was Thanked 495 Times in 227 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 26 Times	Re: I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers Sounds like natural "vertical propagation" by the plants "raising" their growing point. Does not explain the increased girth though.

03-27-2025, 08:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
PR-Giants Commercial Grower Location: Florida & Greater Antilles Find me on the map! Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 4,721 BananaBucks : 4,912 Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,959 Times Was Thanked 12,904 Times in 3,790 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,225 Times	Re: I harvested some nicely variegated water suckers These water suckers are perfect for vertical propagation. First, I need to get them rooted and then I'll remove most of the rhizome and start raising the soil level. The rhizome it currently has isn't good for propagation and it will be discarded. The new rhizome will eventually be loaded with plenty of leaf scars which is where the new offshoots will be produced. __________________ PR-Giants Photo Gallery 15,000+ Varieties Last edited by PR-Giants : 03-27-2025 at 08:45 PM.

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